Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurates 7th NHM National Summit on Good, Replicable Practices
New Health Management Information System (HMIS) along with the Operational Guidelines for TB services was also launched
Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare digitally inaugurated the 7th National Summit on Good, Replicable Practices through a video conference in New Delhi. He also launched New Health Management Information System (HMIS) along with the Operational Guidelines for TB services at AB-HWCs and the Operational Guidelines 2020 on Active Case Detection and Regular Surveillance for Leprosy.
Dr Vardhan said, “It is important to focus on innovative convergence strategies which will take India’s healthcare system to a new height. In the year 2020, 210 new initiatives were uploaded by the states and UTs in the National Healthcare Innovation Portal. The ultimate goal of these innovations is to improve the health status of the people on one hand and strengthen public health systems in a sustainable manner on the other.”
He also stressed on the need to involve and integrate the grassroots healthcare workers for brainstorming on the innovations in the healthcare ecosystem and benefit from the collective wisdom which emanates from years of experience and expertise of working with people’s health delivery systems.
Dr Vardhan shared his experiences of leading the polio elimination drive when he was the Health Minister, Delhi, and reminisced about the power of people’s participation and community engagement in health programmes.
Releasing the operational guidelines for TB services, the Union Minister noted, “The sustained efforts of the Government of India towards TB control have led to an unprecedented increase in TB notifications and improvements in diagnostics, adherence and treatment outcomes. The number of missing cases has reduced to 2.9 lakh cases in 2019, as against more than 10 lakh cases in 2017. The prime minister has set a bold target of a TB-free India by 2025, five years ahead of the SDG targets of 2030. To achieve this goal, we need to work together for early diagnosis of TB, treat all TB patients at first interface along with ensuring suitable patient support systems, and break the chain of TB transmission in the community.”
Emphasising the role of ideas and innovation in strengthening our healthcare system, Dr Vardhan noted, “Innovation is a very important coefficient in the delivery of healthcare services. The work on COVID-19 has encouraged us to initiate new ways of dealing with programmes and create innovations. The pandemic has made us a self-reliant in the area of manufacturing of PPE kit, Ventilator, mask, vaccine etc. More than one million teleconsultations have been done on the eSanjeevani digital platform of the Health Ministry. This is a result of the innovative approach that has stemmed out of coordinated efforts.”
Reiterating the importance of digital and information technology in the delivery of healthcare services, Dr Vardhan said, “Digital transformation has enabled us to develop a national digital health ecosystem that supports Universal Health Coverage in an efficient, accessible, inclusive, affordable, timely and safe manner. The new Health Management Information System (HMIS) provides a seamless online platform through the provision of a wide range of data, information and infrastructure services, duly leveraging open, interoperable, standards-based digital systems. The optimal information exchange has helped in achieving better health outcome, better decision support system, and facilitating improvement in the reforms of public healthcare at the state and national level. Department of Health and Family Welfare has recently won a very prestigious Digital India award 2020 under Open Data Champion category for the eSanjeevani digital platform.”
Rajesh Bhushan, Health Secretary, Vandana Gurnani, AS&MD (NHM), Ratna Anjan Jena, DG (Stats), Vikas Sheel, AS (policy), MoH&FW and other health officials from states/UTs joined the event. Dr Rodrico Ofrin, WR, WHO was also present at the event.
