Teh Push for AI in Healthcare

Jakarta – Indonesia is actively pursuing the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into its healthcare system, wiht a focus on AI-guided ultrasound devices. This initiative aims to improve the accuracy of disease detection, ultimately reducing the incidence of breast cancer, and also maternal and infant mortality rates across the archipelago.

Government Support and Vision

Lucia Rizka Andalusia, the ministry’s director general of pharmacy and medical devices, emphasized the importance of these devices in the government’s Free Health Checks programme. Advanced technology,such as AI,must be utilized in medical devices to provide maximum benefits to the public, she stated,highlighting the government’s commitment to leveraging technology for public health.

Andalusia expressed a broader vision for Indonesia’s role in the AI landscape. Our hope is that Indonesia, as a country with a population of more than 280 million, will not only accept AI and machine learning as users, but we will also participate in developing it, she said Wednesday, underscoring the nation’s ambition to become a key player in AI innovation.

Enhanced Accuracy and Efficiency

The implementation of AI in ultrasound technology is expected to considerably improve diagnostic accuracy. Examinations using ultrasound devices equipped with AI are anticipated to be more precise compared to conventional manual methods, leading to earlier and more accurate diagnoses.

AI’s Role in Medical devices: Two key Approaches

Andalusia outlined two primary ways AI can be integrated into the medical device industry:

• Integration with Screening Products: This involves incorporating AI into existing screening tools to enhance their capabilities. GE Healthcare, such as, recently launched two ultrasound devices equipped with imitation intelligence.
• AI as a Medical Device: This approach utilizes AI to analyze and interpret scan results, providing preliminary findings that can then be validated by healthcare professionals. AI can be used as a medical device itself, for example, to read scan results, translate them, and provide results that still need to be validated and curated by humans, Andalusia explained.

She noted that this type of AI technology is already being widely developed.

Addressing critical Health Challenges

The focus on screening technology is driven by the pressing need to address high maternal and infant mortality rates, and also the prevalence of breast cancer in Indonesia.

According to Ministry of Health data from 2020, the maternal mortality rate stood at 189 per 100,000 live births, while the infant mortality rate was recorded at 16.85 per 1,000 live births.

Global Cancer Statistics (Globocan) data from 2020 revealed that there were 68,858 new breast cancer cases in Indonesia, representing 16.6% of the total 396,914 new cancer cases. Breast cancer-related deaths exceeded 22,000.

Call for Collaboration and Innovation

Recognizing the challenges posed by limited healthcare resources and a growing population, Andalusia emphasized the need for cost-effective screening methods. Currently,people are competing to find the most cost-effective screening method,considering that the number of medical or health human resources has not changed much,while the population is continuing to increase, she said.

She urged stakeholders, including academics from radiology colleges, industry professionals, and relevant government bodies, to collaborate on developing innovative screening solutions.

Expanding Access to Ultrasound Services

the Ministry of Health is actively working to improve public access to ultrasound services, recognizing that limited access contributes to the high rates of breast cancer, and also maternal and infant deaths.

Along with providing ultrasound equipment to health centers, the ministry is investing in training programs for healthcare workers to enhance their skills in using and interpreting ultrasound results.