A healthcare system where technology drives efficiency, reduces errors, and ensures that every patient gets the care they deserve – this is the promise of automation.

This shift is happening now, as automation is transforming healthcare, from diagnostics to hospital management worldwide. 

For a country like Bangladesh, with its unique healthcare challenges of overcrowded hospitals, limited resources, and unequal access, automation offers a vital solution. It’s not about keeping up with global trends; it’s about creating a system that’s more coordinated and can reach more people with fewer obstacles.

Experts say the impact of automation can be seen across three key areas: clinical, administrative, and operational services. 

On the clinical side, machine learning is being used to detect diseases like tuberculosis, breast cancer, and diabetic retinopathy from scans and lab results in just minutes. 

According to McKinsey & Company (2022), AI systems can identify breast cancer in mammograms with up to 95% accuracy, rivaling expert radiologists. 

A 2021 report of the World Health Organization revealed that diabetic retinopathy screening tools catch over 90% of severe cases. 

Robotic surgical assistants are helping doctors perform precise operations, resulting in around 21% fewer complications and up to 30% faster recovery, as noted in the Journal of Robotic Surgery (2020). 

In laboratories, automation is transforming routine blood work and genetic analysis, handling hundreds of samples per hour while cutting human error by more than half, proving that the future of healthcare is not just faster, but smarter and safer.

In hospital administration, centralized Electronic Health Records are revolutionizing the industry, storing patient histories securely in a digital format that can be accessed nationwide. 

In the United States, over 96 percent of hospitals now use EHRs, allowing doctors to share information seamlessly and provide better care. In India, Apollo Hospitals has cut average patient wait times by nearly 40 percent through AI-powered appointment systems, making long queues a thing of the past. 

Meanwhile, in China, digital insurance claim processing has transformed hospital workflows, turning weeks of paperwork into just a few days.

Automation is also reshaping operations and public health. During the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, U.S. hospitals used real-time inventory systems to track medicines and equipment, preventing shortages even under high demand.

Indian telemedicine platforms, such as Practo and MFine, utilize AI chatbots and triage tools to guide patients to the appropriate care, thereby reducing unnecessary visits. China’s automated disease surveillance networks collect data from clinics, pharmacies, and laboratories to detect outbreaks early, enabling authorities to respond quickly. 

Healthcare automation is tackling both clinical and administrative challenges. In Estonia, nationwide EHRs reduce repeated tests and speed up treatment. 

Singapore uses robots to deliver medicines and AI to predict patient flow. The UK’s NHS employs AI in radiology, cutting mammogram reading from weeks to hours. 

In Rwanda, drones deliver vaccines and blood to remote clinics in minutes. Even in specialized care facilities, Japan’s elderly care centers utilize robots to monitor vital signs, administer medications, and assist patients safely.

Clearly, automation is no longer a luxury for wealthy nations; instead, it can revolutionize healthcare anywhere. Bangladesh should be next. 

With its growing digital infrastructure and drive toward e-governance, now is the time for Bangladesh’s healthcare transformation. For the government, the benefits extend beyond faster treatments and smoother hospital operations; it’s an opportunity to create a more efficient and truly patient-centered healthcare system.

The local health technology landscape is quietly evolving alongside expanding internet connectivity and a government eager to bring public services online. 

Imagine a system where every hospital, public or private, shares a single digital record of each patient, eliminating repeated tests, lost files, and providing a clearer picture of national health trends. 

Patients could first interact with AI-driven triage chatbots in Bangla, whether through a mobile app or a simple phone call, guiding them to the right level of care and easing the pressure on crowded tertiary hospitals. 

Laboratories, with automated diagnostic machines, can produce faster and more reliable results for everything from routine blood work to infectious disease screening. 

On the other hand, if central warehouses and rural health posts remain in sync, an automated system can track drug supplies to ensure medicines reach every corner and counterfeit products never take hold. 

Telemedicine centers can use AI tools to assess vision, hearing, and heart health, providing a layer of screening before a doctor even steps in. When patients visit clinics, their symptom data can be transmitted in real-time to central health authorities, creating an early warning map that can indicate dengue clusters, cholera outbreaks, or influenza spikes long before they escalate into crises. 

A common scenario in Bangladesh is that many government hospitals are equipped with advanced machines for CRP tests, imaging, and other diagnostics; yet, they often remain underutilized or improperly operated. 

Patients frequently end up relying on private hospitals for tests that could be done in public facilities. Poor maintenance, unregulated machine use, and a lack of trained personnel are contributing factors to this issue. 

Kishor Roy, head of the automation wing at YGEN Engineering Ltd., an automation, instrumentation, and construction solution company, remarked, “State-of-the-art machines are worthless if they sit idle or are misused. True transformation comes when technology, training, and accountability work together; only then can it become a lifeline for healthcare.”

For Bangladesh, where the healthcare system lags in coordination and is not responsive, automation is the solution. Real-time insights on equipment use, bed occupancy, medicine stocks, and staffing needs would shift the focus from reacting to crises to anticipating them. 

A connected network of hospitals and a national EHR would allow patient information to flow seamlessly, improving treatment accuracy and enabling national-level health analysis. Resource allocation will not be city-heavy but demand-based. 

While the promise is significant, implementing it would require overcoming challenges such as high setup expenses for equipment, software, and training. 

Both healthcare workers and patients need orientation on using automated systems. Robust cybersecurity measures are needed to protect sensitive health data. 

A phased approach, starting with pilot projects in urban hospitals and gradually scaling to rural areas, could be helpful.

Healthcare automation is not replacing human work with machines, but empowering doctors, nurses, and administrators with better tools to serve patients. 

For Bangladesh, the question is not whether automation should be embraced, but how quickly and strategically it can be deployed. 

Rafia Hasnat Jinia is working as a product development engineer at BioEnclave, a regenerative medical device company based in Bangladesh. She is involved in developing and bringing to market cost-effective solutions, such as advanced wound dressings, medical-grade sponges, hemostats, and hydroxyapatite products. She holds a BSc and an MSc in Biomedical Engineering from BUET.