New Delhi: In a significant advancement for public health and digital medicine, the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) has launched India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven community screening programme, MadhuNetrAI for Diabetic Retinopathy (DR).
Unveiled on December 16, 2025, in New Delhi, this pioneering initiative harnesses cutting-edge technology to enhance early detection of diabetic eye disease and develop a real-time national health intelligence framework for eye health management.
The programme — a collaboration involving AFMS, the Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences (RPC) at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and the eHealth AI Unit of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) — marks a major milestone in India’s efforts to combat vision loss arising from diabetic complications.
What is Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic Retinopathy is a serious microvascular complication of diabetes — one of the leading causes of preventable blindness among working-age adults globally. The condition often develops without symptoms in early stages, making routine screening essential to identify and treat the disease before vision loss occurs. Traditional screening has been limited by scarcity of specialists, particularly in rural and remote areas.
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By bringing screening into community settings with the support of AI, the new programme has the potential to bridge gaps in accessibility and bring early intervention to underserved populations — a crucial advancement in India, where diabetes prevalence continues to rise.
Background of MadhuNetrAI
The Armed Forces Medical Services — India’s inter-service medical organization providing healthcare to uniformed personnel and their families — has played a central role in shaping this innovative programme.
The effort integrates:
- Clinical expertise and field reach of AFMS,
- Academic excellence from AIIMS and its Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences,
- Technological support from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare’s eHealth AI Unit.
This tri-sector collaboration brings together medical services, research leadership, and digital innovation to confront a pressing public health challenge — diabetic eye disease — at scale.
MadhuNetrAI Programme Launch and Key Features
The launch ceremony took place at the Army Hospital (Research & Referral) in New Delhi, and was presided over by Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, Director General of AFMS, along with Professor Radhika Tandon, Head of RPC at AIIMS, New Delhi.
AI-Driven Screening: The Core Technology
At the heart of the programme is MadhuNetrAI — a web-based Artificial Intelligence platform developed by RPC, AIIMS. The tool enables:
- Automated screening of retinal images,
- Grading and triaging of detected abnormalities,
- Real-time data analytics on disease prevalence and geographic distribution,
- Support for community-level screening performed by trained medical officers, nursing staff, and healthcare assistants.
- High-resolution retinal images are captured using hand-held fundus cameras. The AI system analyzes these images in real time, identifying signs of diabetic retinopathy and categorizing cases based on severity. This not only speeds up detection but also helps prioritize patients who need urgent care.
Pilot Phase and Geographic Scope
The pilot phase of the programme will be implemented across seven diverse locations:
- Pune
- Mumbai
- Bengaluru
- Dharamshala
- Gaya
- Jorhat
- Kochi
These sites were chosen to represent a spectrum of healthcare settings, from metropolitan centers to rural, coastal, and remote regions.
Personnel from each location will receive intensive training at RPC, AIIMS to ensure consistent and accurate use of the AI platform before rolling out large-scale community screenings.
Patient Pathways and Continuity of Care
An important strength of the initiative lies in its structured referral and care pathways:
- Patients identified with diabetic retinopathy will be linked with optimal diabetic management services for improved glycaemic control.
- Cases classified as vision-threatening will be referred to vitreo-retina specialists at designated district hospitals for advanced care, including laser therapy or surgery when necessary.
- District health administrations will play a significant role in coordinating patient referrals and integrating diabetic retinopathy management within existing non-communicable disease (NCD) programmes to ensure continuity of care.
Operational Guidelines and Capacity Building
At the launch event, the authorities released a detailed Compendium outlining the methodology, clinical protocols, and operational guidelines of the programme. The publication provides a roadmap for screening operations, quality standards, and data reporting protocols — a critical resource for scaling the programme to new areas.
The contribution of Brigadier S.K. Mishra, HOD & Consultant (Ophthalmology) at Army Hospital (Research & Referral), was also acknowledged for his role in facilitating institutional collaboration.
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