Meghalaya has placed frontline health workers at the heart of India’s artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions, with the State Health Systems Resource Centre (SHSRC) Meghalaya presenting its “people-first” digital strategy at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.
Representing the state on a national platform, SHSRC Meghalaya joined global partners including the Gates Foundation India, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Evidence for Digital Transformation (EDiT), University of Cape Town, and the World Health Organization South-East Asia to make a strong case: digital competency — not just technology — must form the foundation of any AI-driven health reform.
Opening the session, Valerie Laloo, State Nodal Officer, SHSRC, emphasised that the real strength of a health system lies not in advanced AI tools, but in frontline workers who are confident, competent, and ethically grounded in their use. For Meghalaya, this philosophy has translated into a grassroots-focused approach. Rather than treating frontline workers as mere implementers of centrally designed programmes, the state is working to transform them into empowered problem-solvers who use data to make timely, life-saving decisions at the local level.