NHA & NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) collaborated to organize the NHA-NASSCOM Conclave 2022 on Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission – Revolutionizing Digital Health. The Conclave was held today in Bengaluru as a hybrid event, with over 400 stakeholders and industry veterans from the healthcare and technology sectors, as well as the Indian investor community, participating in physical and virtual modes.
The event's chief guest, Dr. K. Sudhakar, Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Medical Education, Govt. of Karnataka, stated, "Ayushman Bharat or long life for all Indians can be ensured when quality healthcare is provided to one and all." This is made possible by providing not only infrastructure but also the technology platform that ABDM intends to build. This platform will aid in the gradual transition of the health system from one focused on promotion and prevention to one that will also focus on predictive health."
Dr. Sudhakar elaborated on Karnataka's Digital Health Vision, saying, "During our fight against the pandemic, we saw the importance of digital services for healthcare delivery." Teleconsultation, online appointment bookings, readily available health information and access to specialists had an unprecedented impact on people. We are confident that the ABDM platform will assist us in scaling our efforts and creating a welcoming environment with enthusiastic public and private sector participation. We are excited to begin implementing ABDM in mission mode and provide it with the speed, scalability, and support that we can provide at the state level in order to achieve the ultimate goal of healthcare for all."
Dr. R.S. Sharma, CEO of NHA, said of the vision behind the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), "India is at the forefront of the digital revolution." The world has witnessed our country's success story, which includes the largest digital identity programme, record adoption of digital payments, and, most recently, a national vaccination programme via the CoWIN platform. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission aims to replicate this success in healthcare delivery by creating an equitable, accessible, and inclusive ecosystem based on government and private sector collaboration."
Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Karnataka, Health and Family Welfare Services, delivered a special address at the conclave on the importance of improving healthcare through digital innovations. Dr. Praveen Gedam, Additional CEO, NHA, and Mission Director for ABDM, discussed the benefits of this programme for the entire ecosystem.
NASSCOM was instrumental in bringing together thought leaders from the health and technology sectors for panel discussions on how to drive digital health usage and the role of innovators in the digital health stack. The panellists included representatives from Arthur D. Little India, Manipal Hospitals, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Royal Philips, Indegene, Quadria Capital, Medi Assist, Tata Elxsi, Narayana Health, DRiefcase, CrelioHealth, Plus91, and EkaCare, in no particular order.
Dedicated sessions were also held on the opportunities under ABDM for the healthcare ecosystem, as well as Unified Health Interface (UHI) and Health Claims Exchange (HCX) as digital health accelerators. In addition to the sessions and panel discussions, Artivatic, Ala Care, and Raxa Health set up innovation booths at the event venue. The NHA-NASSCOM Conclave 2022 concluded with an exciting brainstorming session on ways to increase the adoption of teleconsultation in India.
