Chennai Hosts First-Ever AI Datathon in Critical Care, Led by Kauvery Group of Hospitals, ISCCM and IIT Madras

Chennai, February 25, 2026: The Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM), in association with Kauvery Group of Hospitals and Indian Institute of Technology Madras, successfully conducted the AI in Critical Care Datathon 2026 as part of the 32nd Annual Conference of ISCCM (Criticare 2026) in Chennai. The conference brought together clinicians, researchers, engineers, and data scientists from across the world to explore the growing role of artificial intelligence in intensive care medicine.

(L to R) Dr Sridhar Nagaiyan, Coordinator - ISCCM, Dr Manivannan S, Founder and Managing Director, Kauvery Group of Hospitals, Padma Shri Kamakoti V, Director IIT Madras, Dr Aravindan Selvaraj Co-Founder and Executive Director Kauvery Group of Hospitals, Dr Iyappan Ponnuswamy, Medical Director Kauvery Hospital

A major highlight was the two-day AI Datathon (February 25–26), a first-of-its-kind initiative that united critical care physicians and data scientists to address real-world ICU challenges. Participants worked with authentic clinical datasets — including continuous monitoring data, laboratory parameters, imaging, and clinical notes — to develop predictive models aimed at supporting decision-making in complex conditions such as sepsis, shock, acute kidney injury, and respiratory failure.

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Critical care remains one of the most data-intensive medical specialties, requiring clinicians to interpret rapidly evolving patient information. The Datathon demonstrated how interdisciplinary collaboration can transform high-volume clinical data into actionable, bedside decision-support tools in high-acuity environments.

The programme featured global faculty, including Dr. Piyush Mathur from Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Anirban Bhattacharya from Mayo Clinic as course directors, with Dr. Bharat Jagisai serving as National Lead for the workshop.

A keynote address by Padma Shri awardee V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, and Dr. Manivannan S, Founder and Managing Director of Kauvery Group of Hospitals, underscored India’s potential to lead the global transformation in applied AI for healthcare.

Ten multidisciplinary teams presented working algorithms addressing critical ICU problems. Select models will undergo further evaluation for potential real-world implementation across Kauvery hospitals, with strict safeguards ensuring data privacy, ethical governance, and patient confidentiality. The initiative also lays the groundwork for deploying AI-enabled clinical support systems to enhance patient care and improve outcomes across the network.

Prof. V. Kamakoti highlighted that critical care demands advanced interpretation of complex monitoring data, especially as ICU patients are often unable to communicate symptoms. He emphasized that collaborative platforms bringing together doctors and engineers are essential for improving diagnostic accuracy and predictive capabilities in intensive care.

Dr. Sridhar Nagaiyan, Coordinator – ISCCM AI in Critical Care Datathon, noted that the initiative uniquely brought together global critical care specialists and IIT Madras data scientists to generate clinically meaningful models using real datasets that can positively influence everyday practice.

Dr. Aravindan Selvaraj, Co-founder and Executive Director, Kauvery Group of Hospitals, said Chennai’s emergence as a technology and AI hub provides fertile ground for healthcare innovation. He added that Kauvery has been integrating AI across the continuum of care — from ambulance and emergency services to ICU and ward care — enabling prediction of critical events and automation of routine documentation, thereby allowing clinicians to focus more on patient care.

Dr. Manivannan S emphasized that while AI is steadily transforming critical care through real-time analytics and predictive tools, institutions must adopt these technologies responsibly, ensuring that innovation enhances precision in care while preserving the human element of medicine.

Beyond the Datathon, Criticare 2026 featured advanced scientific sessions, workshops, and expert-led discussions on predictive analytics and the future of AI-driven intensive care. With strong international participation and actionable outcomes, the initiative marks a significant step toward integrating applied artificial intelligence into routine critical care practice in India and beyond.

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