Narayana Health launches AI-powered tool ‘Aira’ to ease paperwork for doctors

Narayana Health on Saturday announced the launch of Aira, an artificial intelligence-powered documentation tool developed on its in-house Electronic Medical Record (EMR) platform Athma. The new system is aimed at reducing paperwork for doctors and improving patient outcomes.

Founder and chairman Dr. Devi Shetty said the lack of digital medical records is a global issue. “Eighty per cent of hospitals across the world don’t have EMR. Even in countries like the UK or Australia, many hospitals still rely on paper,” he said, adding that most legacy systems were built decades ago and remain inflexible.

Highlighting the need for a unified digital framework in healthcare, Dr. Shetty compared it to mobile operating systems. “There has to be a platform, like iOS or Android, where different applications can plug in. Otherwise, tools to manage conditions such as diabetes or heart failure won’t work in isolation,” he explained.

On Aira’s clinical benefits, Dr. Shetty said the tool could help doctors manage more patients in India’s strained healthcare system. “Instead of two separate visits for tests and follow-up, it can often be reduced to one shorter appointment. That way, doctors can see nearly double the number of patients while avoiding errors such as prescribing unsafe drugs for kidney patients,” he said.

Athma, the technology arm of Narayana Health, has already deployed its digital health solutions across hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and pharmacies in India and abroad.