Augsidius Health Technologies, a health-tech startup founded by doctors committed to addressing the Knowledge gap in the Health care system. Our mission is to empower clinicians and enhance patient outcomes by providing access to evidence-based medical knowledge through AI-driven innovative tools.
Dr Akhila Kosuru, founder of Augsidius Health Technologies in conversation with Womenshine.
WS. What inspired you to transition from working in healthcare delivery to focusing on empowering doctors as the core of the healthcare ecosystem?

AK: While the Indian healthcare system has demonstrated remarkable clinical expertise and service quality, one persistent challenge remains. The mere number of patients and the lack of time to deliver individualized care are a constant concern for doctors. Notwithstanding the flurry of clinical and technological developments meant to enhance patient care, these developments sometimes operate in silos, failing to empower and reach the doctors who are the foundation of healthcare. Despite their staunch commitment to their patients, doctors frequently fail to meet their own need for support, whether it is in organizing their information, clearing up their uncertainties, or making the best of their time. Due to this, the very people who are responsible for improving health outcomes are unable to improve their own effectiveness and decision-making. That was something we wished to change. Drawing from my firsthand understanding of a doctor’s challenges, we envisioned a solution that bridges this gap. The idea was simple but profound, every doctor could benefit from an assistant fit to their unique practice, learning needs, and knowledge requirements. However, the cost and resource intensity of providing human assistants for every doctor is impractical. This is where technology became our ally. We designed an AI agent to serve as a personalized assistant for doctors, enabling them to organize information, address queries, and make informed decisions thus essentially multiplying their ability to provide care. By aligning these innovations with the realisms of medical practice, we’re attempting to create a system that truly empowers doctors, ensuring that they can focus on what matters most, their patients.
WS: How has your experience in both private and public healthcare sectors shaped your vision for reforming healthcare in India?
AK: I’ve been practicing medicine in India for over 13 years, working across private healthcare giants equipped with advanced technologies and public health systems at a grass-root level, including subcenters, primary, and community health centers. This distinct experience has offered me invaluable insights into the strengths and gaps in our healthcare system.
In a hospital in a town in Jammu, I witnessed a cardiologist, who is often the only one in the area struggling to provide evidence-based treatment for advanced heart conditions. His workload was so overwhelming that he could barely spend more than two minutes with each patient. In Meghalaya, I observed a patient visiting a primary health center (PHC) repeatedly for a non-healing leg ulcer. Despite multiple treatments, the root cause, which was uncontrolled diabetes evident from the patient’s longitudinal health profile, was missed due to the doctor’s limited time and the ever-mounting patient load.
These instances, among many others, exposed to me the urgent need for change. While private healthcare has made strides in standardization, its focus on digitization often centers on operational processes more than clinical outcomes. On the other hand, public health systems have made creditable progress in areas like telehealth adoption, particularly in remote regions, proving that even tiny initiatives can lead to substantial impact.
A commonality across both sectors is the challenge of data orchestration, integrating disparate data to extract meaningful insights and predicting health irregularities. This gap hinders the possibility of a truly personalized and holistic approach to healthcare. Augsidius’ vision for reforming healthcare in India stems from this realization: we need solutions that empower clinicians with actionable insights and enable systems to anticipate complications before they occur. By addressing these challenges, we can bridge the rift between operational efficiency and clinical excellence, creating a more equitable and impactful healthcare ecosystem
WS: Can you share examples of how telemedicine and digital health have helped bridge healthcare gaps for disadvantaged populations in your work?
AK: I have had the opportunity of working on many telemedicine projects operated in a Public-Private-Partnership model. As the Honorary General Secretary of the Telangana State Chapter of the Telemedicine Society of India, I’ve witnessed how even the simplest of interventions can create profound impact.
For instance, enabling teleconsultations, providing basic behavioral training to doctors, teaching paramedics to use computer systems, and setting realistic expectations for patients—such as understanding that a virtual consultation means the doctor cannot physically examine them—have all contributed to transforming healthcare delivery. With these small steps, we’ve achieved remarkable outcomes:
Simple infections were treated early, avoiding the use of higher antibiotics.
Complications of non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and thyroid disorders were prevented or delayed through remote education and awareness programs.
Even rarest of diseases were found at an early stage, making timely treatment possible before severe organ damage occurred.
COVID-19 undoubtedly fast-tracked adoption of telehealth by making it a necessity. However, it also underscored vulnerabilities. During the lockdown, much of the healthcare workforce was focused on managing COVID cases, leading to neglect of non-COVID conditions. In one instance, we conducted a survey on the prevalence and prognosis of tuberculosis and leprosy in a state. Alarmingly, 59% of patients had discontinued treatment due to difficulties accessing medical advice and medications. Just a quick report to the state government led to focused interventions that successfully addressed the issue, ensuring patients resumed their treatment.
While telemedicine has proven to be a powerful tool in bridging healthcare gaps, it is just one facet of the solution. There is immense potential in creating awareness, engaging communities, and driving innovations that go beyond virtual consultations. To truly bridge the divide, we need a holistic approach that combines technology, education, and accessibility to empower disadvantaged populations
WS: What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a woman entrepreneur in the healthcare sector, and how have you overcome them?

AK: The challenges I’ve faced have largely stemmed from perceptions surrounding women in cross-domain roles within healthcare. Stepping beyond direct patient care to pursue entrepreneurial ventures often invites skepticism. I’ve frequently encountered questions about my motivations, with some assuming that moving away from clinical practice lacks altruism.
It’s been challenging to communicate that venturing into entrepreneurship is not a departure from serving patients but a way to extend my impact. By stepping out of my comfort zone and tackling systemic issues, I can influence and improve the health outcomes of far more patients than I could within the confines of a clinic or hospital.
A common question I always face is, ‘Why didn’t you open a hospital or at least a diagnostic center instead?’ It takes effort to help people understand that entrepreneurship in healthcare is not just about running facilities but about solving critical challenges, innovating solutions, and creating systems that empower clinicians and patients alike. Overcoming these biases has required a lot of persistence, a strong belief in my vision, and consistently demonstrating the value of what I do through the results of my work.
WS: How do you envision the role of technology, particularly AI, in transforming healthcare, and what safeguards do you advocate for its implementation?
AK: We imagine a transformative role for technology, particularly AI, in accelerating progress in healthcare. The next decade will likely witness advancements in how we care, cure, and prevent diseases at a pace far greater than the last century. At Augsidius, our vision is to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice by leveraging technology to ensure research findings are implemented faster and more effectively.
Currently, it takes an average of 17 years for research advancements to reach clinical practice, and even then, only 14% of these are adopted. This delay deprives patients of the benefits of decades of scientific effort. By improving the cycle of research-to-practice and back to research, we aim to enhance patient outcomes and significantly reduce medical errors.
AI, with its ability to process and analyze vast amounts of data, is becoming a cornerstone of healthcare transformation. However, this also brings the need for robust safeguards. Reliable and validated information must be accessible to both clinicians and patients. The sheer volume of information online today necessitates guardrails to distinguish accurate, actionable knowledge from misinformation that could cause harm.
A key challenge with AI, particularly large language models (LLMs), is the phenomenon of ‘hallucinations’, a term ironically borrowed from medicine—where AI generates misleading information. This highlights a critical need for caution in design and implementation.
At Augsidius, we prioritize making our AI solutions reliable, transparent, and accessible. These principles guide us in developing technology that not only enhances clinical practice but also ensures safety, trust, and positive impact for all stakeholders in the healthcare ecosyste
WS:What message would you like to convey to potential investors about your mission and the long-term impact of supporting your initiative?
AK: Our long-term vision is to create the world’s largest validated, evidence-based medical knowledge platform. This platform will drive rapid and continuous advancements in actionable clinical research and development, addressing critical gaps in healthcare delivery.
Our proprietary knowledge platform (currently patent pending) is designed not only to power our own products but also to support thousands of other health-tech solutions. By doing so, we aim to create a far-reaching, circumferential impact, enabling innovation and enhancing healthcare outcomes on a global scale.
By supporting our initiative, investors will be contributing to a mission that is poised to redefine the future of healthcare, ensuring that advancements in medical science are translated into better patient care faster and more efficiently than ever before.
www.linkedin.com/in/drakhilakosuru
https://www.augsidius.com/
Team WS