J Satyanarayana, Chairman, National Digital Health Blueprint (NDHB) committee in his keynote address at the IAMAI 15th India Digital Summit (IDS) outlining the conceptual underpinnings of NDHB, on 20 January, said that the committee was driven by the goal of elevating standards of care across the healthcare sector, by defining guidelines for technology-driven capacity building.

The chairman defined the goals of the blueprint as ‘Universal health coverage, quality, and continuum of care’ during the India Digital Summit 2021 (IDS 2021) organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

Satyanarayana said, “Such technology will also facilitate the creation of a healthcare ecosystem, a necessity for modernising standard of care in India. A healthcare ecosystem will enable healthcare providers to maintain patient records, seamlessly process coverage claims, and transfer patients easily.” 

Chairman, NDHB Committee also acknowledged the privacy risks associated with the digitization of medical infrastructure in India. The chairman addressed these concerns by expressing the NDHB committee’s commitment to privacy by design, minimalistic collection, purpose limitation and informed consent. The chairman also clarified that the ‘Digital ID’ provided by the scheme would not mandatorily have to be linked to Aadhar, and that data would not be centralized under the vision of the NDHB.

Satyanarayana concluded the address by mentioning that a pilot of the blueprint is being conducted in six union territories. The challenges of digitising rural healthcare providers have become clear through the pilot, and specific technological solutions are being designed under the guidance of the committee to solve these problems.