Innumerable digital initiatives have been introduced by Government of India to increase affordability, accessibility, equity across the country. Through a common digital framework, India aims to create and curate Digital Public Goods, enhance access to these tools by nations across the world and promote standards for interoperability, data privacy, and data security.
This statement of Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, given during a Confederate of Indian Industry (CII), in association of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, at Goa proves that the dispensation is very much serious in its working for ensuring welfare of people. Dr Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa was also present during the event titled ‘Digital Health Summit 2023’.
The theme of the event was ‘Building One Health together – Improving Health equity’, with the objective of bringing together policy makers, industry leaders, and global healthcare experts and thought leaders to deliberate upon key issues confronting the digital health space.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Pawar thanked the participants and said that this event aligns with India’s G20 Health Working Group agenda on Digital Health Innovations and solutions to aid Universal Health Coverage and improve healthcare service delivery towards ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’. Highlighting the importance of digital heath innovations, she mentioned that digital innovations are powering game changers in exponential medicine, including 3D printing, point-of-care diagnostics, robots, bioinformatics, genomics, and is emerging as an enabler and equaliser. In addition to adoption, she emphasised that ‘citizen-centric’ digital health systems with equitable access to high-quality treatments must remain the aim.
Talking about various initiatives taken by Government of India such as Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), e-Sanjeevani Teleconsultation service, Ayushman Bharat-Prandhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) as well as CoWIN and their role in strengthening creation of a digital health ecosystem in the country, Dr Pawar said that these initiatives will help us in achieving the goal of improving health service accessibility and equity across the country. He further emphasized that it is high time that healthcare service delivery to the public is re-aligned to incorporate use of new technology. She said that “emerging technologies like AI, the internet of things (IoT), Blockchain, 3-D printing in medical device manufacturing, etc. can help create a more holistic health ecosystem that improves health outcomes.
A global approach is often more effective and India under its G-20 Presidency has already prioritized digital health as one of its three health objectives, seeking global consensus on a global digital framework,” she added.
Dr Sawant highlighted that health-tech is the most significant aspect of the fourth Industrial Revolution and taking pre-emptive steps remains the key. He said, “Goa is building one of best public health infrastructure in India and was first to launch universal healthcare insurance for the people in the form of Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY).” While highlighting the quick implementation of digital services in the state, he said, “Goa has been the 2nd fastest adopter of digital services in the country and has been giving enormous support to promote startup systems providing patient centric care with help of health-tech”. He further added, “With policy deliberations and required regulation in this area, will paves the way for more public-private partnerships to attract more investments in health-tech.”
Dr Vinod Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog succinctly remarked that India is taking proactive steps by having already created a framework, fabric, platform and a highway. He said that the government is working with stakeholders on the validation of digital health devices including wearable devices, AI equipment’s in health systems in appropriate settings, and thus, creation of an appropriate standards where technologies can be tested.
He also urged the private sector to come forward with right thinking, ideas, vision and indeed solutions to use it for various products and possibilities. Finally, he emphasized on the importance of developing the capacity to process and create valuable insights from the digital data that is being created every day.
The Session saw other enriching discussions on key areas like ‘Leveraging and compiling Health Data towards realising the Vision of ‘Health for All’; Innovating in Digital Health as well as Driving Investments in the future of Digital Health. Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, MoHFW; Lav Agarwal, Additional Secretary, MoHFW, Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman CII Healthcare Council, Shashank ND, Chairman CII Subcommittee on Digital Health, Luigi D’Aquino, Chief of Health, UNICEF India along with senior officials of Ministry, stakeholders, global healthcare experts were also present on the occasion.
