The digital healthcare is not necessarily a replacement to the existing healthcare ecosystem
Enbasekar D , Co-Founder & CTO , MediBuddy
easier for health care professionals to deliver healthcare . In my opinion , it is not a substitute for the human touch needed in healthcare ,” adds Enbasekar .
Must make the scope wider
“ Digital healthcare is much beyond what we normally perceive it to be ," says Himanshu Sikka , Project Director , SAMRIDH Blended Finance Facility .
“ People might think of WhatsApp too as digital health but it is much more beyond that . Things like remote robotic surgeries in traditional setups , digital X ray machines , CT scan machines , all of that constitutes digital . Digital healthcare has been used a lot in the last few years . The services such as mobile phone based consultation , e-pharmacies are taking the care outside of the traditional setup of the hospital
towards where the patient is , whether it ’ s at their home or at a primary healthcare centre . But if you were to look at the overall picture , it is quite wide . Therefore , it is important to look at the integration of digital health across the spectrum from point of care devices to mobile health applications , and e-pharmacies . We must see how they use technology within their operations , be it the hospital management information systems or technology devices . It makes the scope much wider than a narrow definition ,” opines Mr . Sikka .
India has already demonstrated its commitment to leverage digital health as a health system strengthening intervention , as outlined in the National Digital Health Blueprint based on which the National Digital Health Mission ( NDHM ) is currently being piloted by the National
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The digital healthcare has democratized the whole system which means that doctors are now available from any place
Ajay Sharma , Co-founder , COO & Operations Head , DESH Clinic
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More digital acceptance , like let ’ s say , wearable devices that are collecting lot of vitals could be used to predict any event
Dr . Raja Indana , Medical Director , MFine
Health Authority . With a whopping INR 1,600 crore allocation , it entails creation of a shared public digital infrastructure that can be leveraged by both public and private players to deploy new solutions that enhance the enduser experience .
From the telemedicine guidelines being announced in March 2020 to the launch of national digital health ID in August 2020 , we have just started to see the digital era in healthcare take shape . Many reports have estimated that over the next decade , NDHM can potentially unlock an incremental value of Rs . 1.5 lakh crore for the healthcare industry . While India ’ s dream of a digital health ecosystem might appear to be an uphill task but it certainly isn ’ t impossible to achieve it .
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