Stressing on the need to utilise technology for improving health standards of people, union health minister JP Nadda launched various e-health initiatives on the occasion of World Health Day on Thursday.

With UNICEF’s support, the ministry launched a tablet based application ‘ANMOL’ which will allow the auxiliary nurse widwives (ANMs) to enter and update the records of beneficiaries of reproductive child health (RCH) programme in real time. The tablet will not only simplify the frontline health care workers’ day to day work but also improve the data quality and accountability. Nadda highlighted that the application is Aadhaar-enabled and thus will help in authentication of the records of field workers and beneficiaries.

The minister also launched a web based ‘e-Raktkosh’ app, which will help people who are looking for availability of blood or blood banks. The app interconnects all the blood banks of the state into a single network. “During the time of trauma, a family has to run and to and fro looking for a specific blood group. If there is a case of blood transfusion, this app will be very helpful for families in distress,” Nadda said. He further stated that the challenge here is real-time updation of correct information by licensed blood banks.

Launching another mobile application ‘India Fights Dengue’, Nadda said, “There is a need to spread awareness about vector borne diseases like dengue. Community members who want to help but don’t know what to do can easily take help of this app and take necessary steps.”
The minister also released guidelines for dialysis centre in PPP mode. “This year the budget has given us the opportunity to tackle kidney related problems and reduce the expenditure on dialysis, and thus soon, every district in the country will have the facility of a dialysis centre operated under the PPP mode to leverage the potential of the private sector,” he said.