India ’ s healthcare system has been undergoing a digital transformation , culminating in the rollout of digital health IDs which the government hopes will be adopted by most of the population . We take a look at the country ’ s journey to digitalise healthcare
TIMELINE
THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
OF HEALTHCARE IN INDIA
India ’ s healthcare system has been undergoing a digital transformation , culminating in the rollout of digital health IDs which the government hopes will be adopted by most of the population . We take a look at the country ’ s journey to digitalise healthcare
2015 2017 2020
Digital India campaign
The Indian government launches the Digital India campaign , with the aim of transforming the country ’ s economy . This includes ensuring all public services such as healthcare are available to citizens electronically . Upgrades to wifi availability and introducing 5G are part of the plans to enable this .
Digital health IDs
The idea of a digital health ID is proposed , part of a digital healthcare system that integrates information for citizens and stakeholders across private and public healthcare providers . It is expected that hospitals , online pharmacies , telemedicine firms , laboratories and insurance companies will take part in the new system .
COVID-19 & the acceleration of digital healthcare
COVID-19 results in a 500 % increase in the use of virtual consultations between March and May 2020 alone . However the pandemic also highlights a digital divide : to book vaccines people must access the web portal CoWin , and upload their identity documents via a smartphone or computer with a strong internet connection - available to citizens in metropolitan areas , but less so across India ’ s vast rural regions .
14 December 2021