India Illuminates the Global Healthcare Standards Using Digital Methods

India has again topped the chart in the face of global healthcare standards. As a citizen of such a diverse nation and as a Chairman of a NIMS University, it is nothing less of a proud moment for me.

Forbes recently released an article titled: “India Is Using Technology to Give 1.4+ Billion People Access to Healthcare”

The article boasts that the next 50 years of growth will make Indian Healthcare an incomparable power catering to about 1.4 billion people across the nation. A multinational financial services company, Goldman Sachs, also released a report indicating that India is bound to take over as the second-largest economy in the world. 

The efforts of our governments are now finally being realized worldwide. The heat of these times is posing a challenge for healthcare networks around the world, including India. However, India has focused greatly on cost-efficient and effective healthcare allowing coverage to such a holistic population. 

It has also been an utter pleasure that my inspiration, a figure recognized across nations, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi’s goal towards establishing best-in-class universal health coverage, is applauded. Forbes has also addressed the two daughter programs branching from the nationwide wellness program launched in 2018 called ‘Ayushmaan Bharat’. These two extending programs are:

(1) The creation of Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs), which concentrate on providing comprehensive primary and diagnostic care.

(2) the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PM-JAY), which covers hospitalizations for secondary and tertiary care for more than 550 million people at a cost of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year.

The article also covers the digitalized version of ‘Ayushmaan Bharat’, considered The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) which intends to build the foundation required to enable the nation’s integrated digital health system. Through digital interlinks, it would close the distance between the various healthcare ecosystem players. The digital infrastructure has also been meticulously constructed to properly connect and preserve secure health information while also enabling simple user interfaces for everyday access to treatment. Hands-on, the programme has secured the support of some of the country’s top organizations, including Tata Medical and Diagnostics Group and Apollo Hospital.

Another government program highlighted as introduced by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in the form of the National Telemedicine Service, which is also the world’s biggest telemedicine programme, is eSanjeevni. 

Notably, the program has achieved remarkable success due to its adoption. Since its establishment in 2019, the program has experienced extensive success. It has catered to over 114 million patients across a network of over 115,000 Health & Wellness Centres acting as spokes, facilitated by 15,700+ hubs. Additionally, the program has provided access to over 1,100 online OPDs, supported by a team of more than 225,000 doctors, medical specialists, super-specialists, and health workers serving as telemedicine practitioners.

eSanjeevani operates particularly in two ways as such:

(1) It is a service that enables patients to seek specialized clinical advice from other physicians by visiting a health and wellness centre or by allowing physicians to request such advice from their colleagues.

(2) eSanjeevani OPD establishes a direct connection between patients and healthcare providers, allowing them to consult with providers from the convenience of their own homes.

India has, by par, created an example for the West in the healthcare almanac. Time and again, the West has compared India to be backward and not well-optimized for medical management.

In my opinion, as a person who has witnessed an astounding 40 years of medical career, there is hardly any country capable of harbouring manpower as such as well as serving a population size differentiating in cultural, demographic, economic, and social values. 

India is bound to surpass the leading nation. But we should keep in mind that we, as its citizen, are the key channels to it. 

I am doing my part as the Chairman of the NIMS Super Speciality Hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan, where we ensure quality medical treatment along with modern and sophisticated facilities. With a vast pool of exceptionally skilled, well-experienced, and professional physicians and well-trained nursing staff, we believe in the values of humanity and provide high-quality care, both professionally and ethically. 

I am also determined to contribute to building a better society through various social initiatives and following the UN SDG guidelines throughout my ventures. 

Further extending my role as the acting Chairman and Chancellor of the co-joint NIMS University, where education is reformed to prepare medical students into excellent doctors of their fields by offering them the best in class research and academic facilities.  In the end, it is we who represent our nation, and we are responsible for working towards its betterment.