AI-Powered Screening for Congenital Heart Disease | Dr. Prashant Bobhate

Early detection of congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of India’s biggest unmet medical needs. Most babies with CHD go undiagnosed, and many reach hospitals only after their condition becomes inoperable.
In this video, Dr. Prashant Bobhate, Pediatric Cardiologist at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, explains how AI-driven tools — particularly an India-made digital stethoscope — can change the future of CHD detection across the country.
With 15 years of experience in pediatric cardiology and extensive work in digital diagnostics, Dr. Bobhate shares how AI can empower frontline workers, bridge diagnostic gaps, and save thousands of newborn lives each year.
???? 1. Why early CHD detection is difficult in India
Prenatal diagnosis is limited or unavailable in many regions
Two-thirds of CHD cases go undetected
Many children reach specialists too late, when the disease becomes inoperable
Physicians’ ability to detect murmurs varies greatly with experience
???? 2. AI-enabled digital stethoscope: A breakthrough innovation
Dr. Bobhate and his engineer collaborators developed a 100% Made-in-India digital stethoscope capable of identifying CHD through heart sounds alone.
Pilot study results (700 patients):
95–96% sensitivity
95–96% specificity
A highly promising accuracy rate for early screening.
???? 3. How it works
A Physician or health worker places the device on the child’s chest
AI analyzes the heart sound in real-time
Device indicates: CHD likely / CHD unlikely
If suspicious → refer child for an echocardiogram
No expertise is needed.
No interpretation skills required.
A simple, quick, portable screening tool.
???? 4. The vision: Taking CHD screening to every village
Next step: a 5,000-patient multicentric study across India.
If validated, the device will be supplied to:
✔ Anganwadi workers
✔ ASHA workers
✔ Rural health centers
✔ Semi-urban clinics
Just one device could screen hundreds of children each month, preventing thousands of missed diagnoses.
???? 5. The problem this innovation solves
India sees ~2,40,000 newborns with CHD every year.
Two-thirds (1,60,000+) go undetected (Dr. Anita Saxena’s paper).
A large number become inoperable by the time they reach specialists.
AI-supported early screening has the potential to dramatically reduce preventable deaths and improve lifelong outcomes.
⏱️ Suggested YouTube Chapters
0:00 – Introduction: Meet Dr. Prashant Bobate
0:10 – Experience & background
0:21 – Why detecting CHD early is difficult in India
0:45 – Prenatal diagnosis limitations
1:00 – CHD often detected too late
1:18 – Variability in physician expertise
1:33 – The idea behind an Indian digital stethoscope
1:49 – AI algorithm trained on 700 patients
2:00 – Sensitivity & specificity: 95–96%
2:18 – How the device works
2:37 – Impact in rural & semi-urban India
2:55 – Upcoming 5,000-patient multicentric study
3:14 – Goal: A device for every Anganwadi worker
3:35 – India’s CHD burden: 2.4 lakh newborns/year
3:50 – Two-thirds go undetected (Dr. Anita Saxena’s paper)
4:10 – Potential to save thousands of lives
4:25 – Children’s Day message