HEALTHCARE
Strengthening national health programs using IT Jitendra Tiwari
G
overnment of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare comprises of Department of Health and Family welfare and Department of Health Research. The major programs run by the Ministry are for eradication of communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Vector Borne diseases, Integrated Disease surveillance program for communicable diseases and Leprosy; non communicable disease control for diseases like, iodine deficiency disorder, National Oral Health Program, National Mental Health Program, National Program for Prevention and Control of Deafness and Blindness, Universal Immunization Program and Polio Eradication Program. Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna was initiated in 2004 for correcting regional imbalances in the availability of affordable and reliable tertiary healthcare services and also to augment facilities for quality medical education in the countryby setting up AIIMS 32 I September 2016
and Medical Colleges all over the country. The Ministry also runs Poor Patients’ Financial Assistance Program, under which the ministry provides grants aid for treatment of the underprivileged through Health Minister’s Cancer Patients Fund, Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi – a revolving fund and Health Minister’s Discretionary Grant. Different budgetary provisions are made under each of these programs. To upgrade the health infrastructure facilities, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfares provides grants to state governments. Other National health programs include Rashtriya Varishth Jan Swasthya Yojana, an extension of tertiary level activities of National Program for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE) during 12th Five Year Plan, National Program for Prevention and Control of Fluorosis (NPPCF) and National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP). The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna is another major program of MoHFW for providing health insurance in order to get treated in the empaneled hospitals.
How ICT is being used Information and Communication Technology are being widely used for reporting, educating, medical consulting and counseling, monitoring and evaluation of programs run by the ministry. Recently, the Online Appointment and Queue Management System along with Electronic Health Records and Digital Health Records of patients have been introduced in premier Government Health facilities including AIIMS. The government is planning to introduce this system in all the states and integrate it with digital health cards. In order to provide specialized medical consultation facilities to remote locations, the telemedicine system is also initiated at few locations. The National AIDS Control Organization, which was a separate department under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has used BI and GIS system to monitor the Remote Reporting Units and track the infected patients and their treatment. A countrywide Information www.governancetoday.co.in