Aster, a private healthcare provider, is to setup its Innovation and Research Center in India and GCC. This is carried out with the intension to improvise the health outcomes for patients and also to enhance their overall experience at all its facilities.

Over the next three years, the center will aim to achieve key milestones like introduction of innovation solutions for home healthcare. With a focus on digital primary care, creating an eco-system of digital health partners from start-ups to academia. However, starting digital health/ informatics/ medicine would be a stream for the future healthcare workers. Furthermore, the new center would accelerate various ongoing innovative projects being led by different units, like the diabetes, sepsis and dialysis projects. It would work to introduce an interdisciplinary subject on digital health/medicine at the DM Wayanad Institute of Medical Sciences (DMWIMS).

“Our main objective as an organization has been to ensure that quality and affordable healthcare is easily available at the doorsteps of our patients. With evolving patient needs, it is essential to focus on digital transformation of healthcare because of advances being made in various areas like AI, genomics and molecular biology which is likely to produce a quantum leap. We are confident that under the leadership of Dr. Satish, Aster Innovation and Research Centre would play a major role in introducing the most advanced and unique patient care solutions and enable our organization to become one of the most technologically progressive healthcare providers in the world,” says Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman and Managing Director, Aster DM Healthcare.

The Chief of Innovation, Dr. Satish Prasad Rath is a post graduate medical doctor and a digital health scientist with multiple patents.

He holds a rich experience of leading research and innovation labs at Xerox Innovation Group, Wipro Technologies, Intel labs, and Philips Research. Dr. Satish has also served as an adviser to several start-ups and incubators.

Dr. Satish would be spearheading the innovation projects. With an aim to leverage the advances in digital health research like AI, cognitive psychology, blockchain, IoT, behavioral economics and more. In addition, on-boarding start-ups, which can drive innovation is also on the cards. The Centre is expected to work in a collaborative manner, focusing on applied research with academia, startups, and industry partners.

Our main objective as an organization has been to ensure that quality and affordable healthcare is easily available at the doorsteps of our patients. With evolving patient needs, it is essential to focus on digital transformation of healthcare because of advances being made in various areas like AI, genomics and molecular biology which is likely to produce a quantum leap.

Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Satish states, “Today, there are many inefficiencies being experienced by the healthcare industry. We can reach far more people who are not able to access health system due to geography, knowledge or affordability constraints. Leveraging AI, IoT, blockchain, cognitive computing we can address these difficult segments in sustainable way. We will be tapping into the rich evolving entrepreneurship culture of start-ups and academia in a collaborative model that we can curate and co-create for better future. Simultaneously, we will be preparing the digital health aware/ empowered workforce in collaboration with govt and teaching institutions”.