India’s most common health risks are appearing earlier and often going undetected for longer, says Sangita Reddy, joint managing director of Apollo Hospitals. In an interview with Sudhir Chowdhary, she emphasises the need to move beyond symptom-led care towards a predictive, continuous, and personalised approach. With the convergence of AI, digital platforms, and growing health awareness, she believes the tools to make this shift are finally within reach. Excerpts:
Apollo data flags early risks like prediabetes and fatty liver. Why can’t India treat its way out of chronic disease without prioritising prevention?
The arithmetic no longer works in our favour. Risk is emerging far earlier than expected, often without clear clinical signals. Apollo’s preventive health data shows that one in five individuals under 30 is already prediabetic. At the same time, 74% of those with ultrasound-confirmed fatty liver present with normal liver enzyme levels. The risk exists—but remains largely invisible in routine testing and symptom-led care. This fundamentally changes how we must approach chronic disease. By the time diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, or liver disease become clinically visible, they have typically been progressing silently for years. What appears to be a new diagnosis is, in reality, the endpoint of a long, undetected trajectory.
A treatment-led model alone is therefore insufficient. While effective for acute conditions, chronic diseases evolve gradually, cut across systems, and are usually identified too late if we rely solely on symptoms. Prevention is no longer optional—it is central to any sustainable healthcare strategy.
Prevention has long been discussed but not scaled. What held it back, and what’s changing now?
Historically, healthcare systems—across hospital funding, insurance design, and medical training—have been oriented toward treating illness rather than preventing it. As a result, prevention and wellness lacked a viable economic model. That is now changing, driven less by ideology and more by necessity. The data is too stark to ignore, and digital platforms are making continuous engagement commercially viable. Employers, in particular, are beginning to view workforce health as a strategic business priority.
When companies see that up to 80% of employees are overweight and nearly half are prediabetic or diabetic, the issue moves beyond healthcare—it becomes a question of productivity, cost, and long-term sustainability. However, a key gap remains: what happens after screening. Too often, the process ends with a report. Without sustained follow-up, engagement, and accountability, identified risks rarely translate into improved outcomes. Apollo’s approach focuses on continuity—staying connected between visits through digital health records, teleconsultations, integrated diagnostics, and remote monitoring. Prevention is becoming scalable because both the need and the enabling infrastructure are finally aligning.
Can AI and digital tools truly scale preventive healthcare in India?
They can—but only when deployed with clinical rigour and accountability. Technology can surface risk at a scale no human system can match. AI, for instance, can detect early metabolic patterns in a 27-year-old that become symptomatic for a decade. Remote monitoring enables a continuous health profile rather than a one-time snapshot. However, data without clinical oversight has limited value. At Apollo, AI identifies signals, but physicians determine the course of action. That distinction is critical.
Digital infrastructure is also expanding access. Individuals in smaller cities can now consult specialists, share health data, and receive personalised guidance—capabilities that were previously limited to large urban centres. This is where scale becomes meaningful.
In 2025 alone, Apollo’s connected digital backbone—spanning EMR, HIS, and PACS—enabled 7.99 million digital consultations and 8.5 million lab bookings. But scale is not the end goal. The real value lies in continuity—ensuring patients remain engaged, complete follow-ups, and manage risks before they escalate.
How is Apollo transitioning from episodic hospital care to continuous, connected care?
Healthcare has traditionally been episodic: a patient visits a hospital, receives treatment, and leaves. What happens between visits is rarely monitored—yet, for chronic diseases, outcomes are largely determined in that gap. Apollo’s transition to connected care is focused on closing this gap. Through structured follow-ups, digital check-ins via Apollo 24/7, and personalised care plans, the model ensures continuous patient engagement. These plans are tailored—not standardised—taking into account age, gender, risk profile, and metabolic history.
A 25-year-old with early prediabetes requires a different approach from a 60-year-old managing long-term diabetes. Connected care enables both to receive consistent, context-specific support over time. Early results are encouraging: 56% of hypertensive patients adhering to recommended interventions have shown measurable improvement.
What does “future-ready healthcare” mean in practice?
Future-ready healthcare rests on three pillars working in tandem. First, diagnostics must evolve from confirming disease to identifying early risk—capturing metabolic, genetic, and lifestyle indicators well before clinical onset. Second, data systems must create a longitudinal health record, not just isolated test results. Third, engagement must be personalised and relevant, because generic advice rarely drives behavioural change.
Apollo ProHealth is built around this integrated approach—combining predictive risk assessment, advanced diagnostics, and physician-led evaluation that continues beyond a single visit. A future-ready system is not defined by technology alone, but by its ability to identify risk early and manage it consistently.
At its core, the objective is clear: intervene earlier, stay connected longer, and prevent disease before it takes hold.