Dear Editor,
In many developing nations, including India, access to healthcare remains a significant challenge in remote and underserved areas.[1] Outreach health camps serve as a critical intervention to provide basic healthcare services in such regions. The authors intend to share their field experience illustrating the application of a generative artificial intelligence (AI) model in the planning and execution of an eye health camp at a remote town in India.
A team of ophthalmologists from the apex Ophthalmology institution of India was assigned to conduct a 2-day outreach camp in April 2025 in an underserved tribal region of the southeastern state of Odisha. To aid the planning process, the team employed Grok-3 Beta, a generative AI chatbot developed by xAI. The following prompt was input into the application requesting ‘provide a list of medications to be taken along for conducting a basic eye care camp at Sundergarh, Odisha for 300 patients.’
The model identified commonly encountered eye disorders in this area, including conjunctivitis, allergic eye disease, minor ocular trauma, refractive errors, and cataracts. The application generated a comprehensive list of required medications—such as topical antibiotics, corticosteroids, cycloplegics, and lubricants—as well as essential ancillary supplies like fluorescein strips. It also calculated the individual quantities of each medicine.
The medical team adhered to the recommendations regarding the medical supplies to be carried to the camp, as provided by the AI model. Three hundred and eight patients were examined over 2 days at the camp. The stock of medications and supplies was found to be adequate.
This case study demonstrates the practical benefits of incorporating AI-driven tools in the logistical planning of healthcare delivery in a resource-limited setting. By leveraging multisource data, AI models can provide accurate estimations and evidence-based guidance, thereby improving preparedness and execution of outreach health initiatives. The integration of such technologies holds promise for enhancing the efficiency and scalability of community-based healthcare programs in the future.
Conflicts of interest:
There are no conflicts of interest.
Funding Statement
Nil.
Reference
- 1.Khan JA, Mahumud RA. Is healthcare a ‘Necessity’ or ‘Luxury’? an empirical evidence from public and private sector analyses of South-East Asian countries? Health Econ Rev. 2015;5:3. doi: 10.1186/s13561-014-0038-y. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]