Some are very familiar – a growing, aging population with increasing levels of chronic health problems and significant inequalities in care provision. Others are a factor of the Indian system which Ravi describes as ‘chaotic’.

A key issue underpinning that chaos is the distribution of physicians, 80% of whom practice in urban areas while 70% of the population live rural lives.

Ravi and colleagues are using cutting-edge digital technology to improve healthcare provision in India by introducing ‘comprehensive connected care’. This hub-and-spoke model uses digital connectivity to exchange data and information between centrally located expert clinicians and those caring for patients. For example staff in 5G-enabled ambulances transporting very sick people over long distances receive advice from critical care physicians who have all the patient’s clinical data at their fingertips.