National Conference on “Universal Access to Healthcare: Digital Solutions” Inaugurated by Dr. V K Paul

New Delhi: Dr. V K Paul, Member (Health) of NITI Aayog, inaugurated a National Conference on “Universal Access to Healthcare: Digital Solutions” today in New Delhi. The day-long event, organized by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in collaboration with the Sankala Foundation, focused on exploring digital healthcare solutions to ensure affordable, quality healthcare for all, particularly in rural, remote, and hilly areas. The conference was supported by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra and NHRC Secretary General Bharat Lal were also present at the event, which brought together healthcare practitioners, policymakers, innovators, and experts to discuss the future of digital healthcare in India.

In his address, Dr. Paul emphasized the transformative changes occurring in India’s health sector, particularly in strengthening primary healthcare systems. He outlined five key principles for the successful adoption of digital health solutions:

1. Scaling digital technologies: Emphasizing saturation in the healthcare system.
2. Developing inclusive technologies: Ensuring that innovations such as AI and robotics are accessible to all, especially the digitally illiterate.
3. Human rights and inclusivity: Protecting beneficiaries from cyber fraud while promoting inclusivity.
4. Simplifying healthcare access: Creating digital solutions that enhance ease of living.
5. Enhancing quality of life: Leveraging digital health tools that incorporate traditional knowledge and improve overall well-being.

Apurva Chandra, Union Health Secretary, highlighted the success of digital platforms like CoWIN and Aarogya Setu, which played a key role in delivering over 220 crore COVID-19 vaccinations. He emphasized the government’s aim to replicate this success through the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, which aims to integrate various healthcare services, including telemedicine and e-health portals, under one unified platform. He also announced the upcoming launch of the U-Win portal, which will digitally track the vaccinations and medical records of over 3 crore pregnant women, mothers, and 2.7 crore children born annually.

Chandra also spoke about the progress in developing the National Health Claims Exchange, a platform that will simplify insurance claims processing, promoting transparency and ease for citizens.

Bharat Lal, Secretary General of NHRC, reinforced the importance of healthcare as a fundamental human right, noting that good health is essential for realizing the full potential of every individual. He praised digital technology as a critical tool for achieving universal healthcare and emphasized NHRC’s involvement in healthcare initiatives addressing issues such as mental health and leprosy.

During the conference, a report titled Leveraging Digital Solutions for Universal Health Coverage was released, based on research conducted by the Sankala Foundation. The report explores digital healthcare models that can be scaled across the country to improve accessibility and quality of care. The event also featured three technical sessions on “Models of Change in Healthcare,” “Future Frontiers in Digital Health,” and “Technology-enabled Universal Health Coverage.”

Several prominent figures from government, industry, and international organizations attended the event, including Madhukar Kumar Bhagat, Joint Secretary (E-Health); Dr. Basant Garg, Additional CEO, National Health Authority; Girish Krishnamurthy, CEO and Managing Director of Tata MD; and domain experts from WHO and UNDP.