The Digital India campaign launched by the union government is growing stronger by the day. NATHEALTH has joined the industry associations that have lended support to this initiative. 

Commenting on it, Mr Sushobhan Dasgupta, president, NATHEALTH mentioned, PM's efforts to transform India into a connected knowledge economy and offering world class services at the click of a mouse through Digital India programme, is truly commendable. Initiative of using mobile and internet strategies - such as telemedicine, doctors on call and remote patient monitoring will help in improving the access of quality healthcare universally.

Mr Dasgupta also added that Telemedicine through Tele-Consultation, E-ICUs, remote patient monitoring, lifestyle management through education tools will further help in enhancing patient care to the next level. Through digital mode, a patient at the primary health center in a village can be connected to any medical specialist hundreds of miles away and diagnosed online. It can also be a powerful tool for real time disease surveillance which is needed to fight the risk of epidemics such as Non Communicable Diseases, Tuberculosis, Trachoma, Leprosy, Malaria.

Mr Anjan Bose, secretary general NATHEALTH said, using wearable and mobile technology will help educate and engage citizens in healthy living and prevention of diseases. India has Mobile Penetration increasing at 3 percent, Smartphones at 70 percent and internet at 22 percent. Innovations in 'Digital Healthcare' will enable solutions across the healthcare value chain.

Mr Bose added, "Through our collaboration MoU with NASSCOM, our vision is to leverage technology to address healthcare challenges, in order to improve patient care. NATHEALTH-NASSCOM joint initiative will try to build linkages across multiple stake-holders in healthcare and information technology sectors. We will try to evangelize a new class of technology solutions and service delivery platforms that enhance healthcare access, affordability, availability and therefore support the government's aim to achieve "Universal Health Coverage".

NATHEALTH and NASSCOM have formed a Joint Council (NNJC), comprising of top leaders in member companies from both the institutions, representing respectively Healthcare and IT sectors. The Joint Council will focus on (1) Creation of Central IT Healthcare Platform, (2) Remote Healthcare, (3) IT Enabled Preventive and Chronic Care and (4) Healthcare Workforce.

We aim to leverage digital technology for innovative solutions which will help both Healthcare and IT sectors grow further. Emerging technologies like cloud, analytics, pervasive presence of mobile telephony and broadband penetration has created new opportunities for both healthcare and technology sectors to collaborate and increase Healthcare quality, accessibility and affordability, informed Mr. Bose.

As Digital India is an umbrella programme including several schemes for inclusive growth in multiple sectors through digitalization of services, it would help us to create self-sustaining models in healthcare that will enable the rapid growth of the services, by creation of digital infrastructure and service delivery through digital mode, added Mr. Dasgupta.