ADB powers digital health revolution, bringing specialised care to rural communities' doorstep

In a transformative move for rural healthcare, a digital health information system initiated in 2018 is now being rolled out in select clusters, promising to bridge the critical gap between remote villages and urban medical expertise.

- BY SANATH NANAYAKKARE

Crucially supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), this initiative ensures that no patient is left behind due to geographic location or economic status.

The integrated system creates a unified digital patient record, accessible to authorised clinicians across a connected network of facilities. It seamlessly captures medical histories, manages lab test orders, and automatically stores results. A key innovation is the radiology module, which allows tests performed in large hospitals to be instantly viewed by staff at any smaller hospital the patient visits later, providing a continuous and complete health narrative.