About the Author: Dr Rakesh Gupta, Chairman, Sarvodaya Healthcare is a renowned Internal Medicine specialist with more than 32 years of experience as a physician. Besides co-founding Sarvodaya Healthcare, he has also set up Sarvodaya Nursing Institute with a clear vision of developing trained staff in order to provide high-quality medical services. He has now established Faridabad’s first paramedical institute affiliated to Healthcare Sector Skill Council. The institute is also the first ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) RTC in Faridabad. Dr Gupta is also a member of Rsearch Society for Study of Diabetes, Delhi Chapter, Rotary Club Faridabad Central and Indian Medical Association.
India’s healthcare sector is growing at a rapid speed. The advent of technology has paved the way for a paradigm shift in the healthcare sector. Revolutionary technology and artificial intelligence have transformed the shape of the medical industry from what it used to be. Provisions are made by both government and private sector in providing the best-in-line healthcare to everyone. However, there is still a large section of society that still remains bereft of good quality medical care.
One of the possible reasons for it could be the lack of access or availability of medical facilities, especially in rural areas where there are no hospitals and clinics and people have to travel to far-off places for their primary healthcare needs. Affordability is the major deterrent as a wide section of people cannot bear the exorbitant costs of treatments and medicines. Sedentary lifestyle, stress, and environmental changes have aggravated the health risks in the urban population and largely go unnoticed, like cardiovascular risks, respiratory issues, obesity, mental health issues and more. Absence of qualified and experienced medical practitioners is another major concern due to which people cannot access good quality treatment and solutions for their problems.
“There is still a large section of society that still remains bereft of good quality medical care.”
Adopting the concept of smart hospitals
There could possibly be several other challenges in the healthcare sector, but as India is progressing towards digitization, Smart Hospitals, the potential future of healthcare is helping bridge the gap between people and top-quality medical care.
Some of the key features of a smart hospital include:
Building & infrastructure – Nowadays, many private hospitals are setting up OPD clinics to reach more cities and areas. Multispeciality hospitals now have a modern infrastructure, convenient for people to navigate. They are following all safety norms and have dedicated teams ensuring infection control and other safety measures.
Medical equipment & technology – Hospitals are leveraging state-of-the-art technology and medical equipment to provide every possible treatment to people. Computer-navigated procedures, robotic treatments, and high-end equipment ensure better outcomes due to maximum accuracy, less human intervention, reduced risks etc.
Primary to critical care – With frontier infra and the latest technology, hospitals offer best-in-line treatment from prevention to consultation, treatment and recovery. Technological advancement has made hospitals adept in basic to chronic care management. The dedicated critical care departments, ER response teams, well-equipped diagnostic and radiology labs, high-end operation theatres, cath labs and more ensure top-class medical care to people under one roof.
Doctors and Paramedics – Hospitals have dedicated departments and qualified doctors specializing in treating particular illnesses and conditions. They have teams of well-trained nurses, dieticians, and physiotherapists offering optimum care and rehabilitation services till recovery.
Online Accessibility – Digitization plays an important role in making healthcare accessible to people. Hospitals can spread awareness, covering a large area, educating people about health and informing them about new advancements and facilities available in their vicinity. Several medical apps are now facilitating online textual & video consultation, helping people get timely basic solutions. People can book appointments online and skip the long queues, saving their time and energy.
The government of India has also initiated the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission(ABDM) for integrated digital health infrastructure in the country, in which health records of people will be digitised. This would include QR code-based patient registration, Health Management Information System (HMIS), a software to manage data in any hospital including many digital services. Through this, the patients would be able to access their medical records anytime, from any part of the country.
Support Services – Smart hospitals are going paperless – from appointments to consultations and reports, most of them can be communicated via online platforms. Technological advances are helping in the seamless coordination and alignment of operations for accelerated and enhanced patient care. With data stored online, doctors can access the patient’s medical history in a fraction of a second to prepare a proper treatment plan.
“With data stored online, doctors can access the patient’s medical history in a fraction of a second.”
