COVID-19 has brought many challenges to the forefront especially for the healthcare system in India. The medical infrastructure and digital innovations can be set up overnight but is practically impossible to train medical workers overnight. The healthcare system in India is already strained. Therefore, we should empower all our frontline health workers with digital literacy which will help them to adopt digital health. It should be implemented at all nursing and medical schools with immediate effect.
To avail the advantages of digital healthcare and technologies, there are some crucial factors to consider. Firstly, to ensure that there are robust data policies to safeguard the citizens and their rights. By doing so, they can be sure that their data is not being misused and is secure in the digital economy. Secondly, there should be harmony across all policies of government to support the evolution of digital healthcare. All the required digital infrastructure, solid enforcement of trade secrets, intellectual property, copyrights and other securities to maintain confidential information which is critical to all tech companies. Thirdly, ease of access to talent, global markets, technologies and data to provide value to patients and clinicians locally in all kinds of market conditions.
Technologies such as deep learning, AI Machine Learning, natural language processing and predictive modelling have accomplished pre-eminence during the COVID pandemic in countries like France. Thus, India has a great opportunity towards Digital Health adoption with the National Digital Health Mission. We need to ensure that the data policies form an environment that enhances the tech innovations for a better tomorrow.