NEW DELHI: The Centre is all set to equip district hospitals and community health centres with protocol software that will help MBBS doctors effectively manage patients with lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension like specialists.
The software has been developed by a team of doctors, led by endocrinologist Nikhil Tandon at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi. Currently, this software is being tested on a pilot basis at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh district in Punjab.
Senior officials in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said the biggest problem in dealing with diabetes and hypertension is that the volume of such patients is large and there are not enough specialists. “After the experience in Punjab, if some improvement is needed in the software, it will be done, otherwise it will be installed in all district hospitals, government health centres in a phased manner,” a an official said.
Another official said the initiative is part of a government strategy to rely more on technology to improve access and quality of healthcare in India.