What It’s Like To Go For A Preventive Checkup at NURA, India's First AI Powered Health Screening Center

When it comes to our health, a lot of us still would only go for a health check up only when we face the issue physically, no? The fever can go by popping up a couple of pills, a roadside injury can be fixed with mom’s homemade oil, and sleeping for extra two hours can help fix the headache. 

What are the odds that you'd plan to go for a preventive screening on a regular weekend and keep your gang day out for another weekend? Chances are rare.

No matter how advanced the healthcare sector has gotten in the last few years, preventive care is still to see the light where it is welcomed well. 

With artificial intelligence taking over every sphere of our lives, we can only hope it is embraced in the healthcare sector too in a way that it changes the way we understand and approach our health. In India, NURA is making this future a reality as the country’s first AI-powered health screening centre that launched in 2021 in Bengaluru and ever since then has been growing its chain bigger. 

Preventive Checkup At NURA 

I recently signed up for a preventive checkup at NURA and a dreaded me went to the centre feeling like I am getting my class 11th report card. The knots in my stomach kept making me feel worse but the moment I stepped into the centre it felt a little normal. There were no long queues at the reception waiting for their number, no staff rushing around, the setup in fact felt like a hotel lobby, where I waited for my check-in details. I filled a small form, and then one of the staff members took me through the flow of my checkups. 

I was moved to a space where I could change to a comfortable Japanese-style lounge outfit and feel at ease. The change of fit did help and I moved to going for all tests one by one. The team answered all the random questions I had, and there was no rushing to tests. In between, I could take a break, drink up some tea to calm my nerves or just keep myself hydrated with some coconut water. It all ended in about 120 minutes and in no time I was sitting with my doctor discussing my reports, every single report was explained in detail, handed over to me as a physical copy, with suggestions made to better my daily health, suggested tests I should go for in the future to prevent any health issues.

While getting this first hand experience did change the way I looked at preventive healthcare, I also spoke with Masaharu Morita, Founder and Program Director at NURA, AI Healthcare Screening Centre, India, to understand NURA and its role in the India's wellness space in depth. 

AI In Indian Healthcare

Speaking of the gaps in India’s wellness space that an AI healthcare center like NURA is filling, Masaharu Morita, said, “India’s healthcare ecosystem has made significant progress in diagnosis and treatment, but preventive health remains an underdeveloped space. Much of healthcare is still driven by symptoms people typically seek medical attention when something feels wrong. There is also a gap between basic annual health check-ups and more comprehensive screening that can provide a deeper understanding of an individual’s health.”

“NURA is addressing this gap by creating a dedicated preventive screening experience for people who are otherwise healthy and want to stay ahead of potential health risks. Unlike a conventional diagnostic centre or hospital, NURA is designed specifically around early detection, combining AI-assisted imaging, laboratory tests and physician consultation in a single, streamlined experience. A comprehensive screening can typically be completed in 120 minutes, with the report and consultation provided during the same visit,” he added.

Morita further spoke about India needing a preventive healthcare setting to shift the mindset from treating illness to actively managing health. He remarked, “Our healthcare system is very strong when it comes to treating people once they are sick, but preventive screening has not yet become an established habit for a large part of the population.”

“The inspiration for NURA came from Japan, where regular health screening is much more deeply embedded in the culture. The idea was to bring that preventive mindset to India while adapting it to the needs of the Indian consumer. NURA was therefore created not as another hospital or diagnostic centre, but as a dedicated “well-care” environment where healthy people can proactively understand what is happening inside their bodies.

The need is particularly relevant as lifestyle-related conditions and cancers can develop silently. By bringing together advanced imaging, AI-assisted technology and clinical expertise in one screening journey, NURA aims to make early detection more convenient, understandable and actionable,” he concluded.