Nagaland organizes 3-day workshop on digital health development

Dimapur: Looking to transform its digital health ecosystem, the Nagaland health and family welfare department hosted a three-day workshop on development of digital health, which concluded on Friday. Dr Karthik Adapa, regional advisor for digital health at WHO South-East Asia Region Office (SEARO), attended the event, with discussions primarily centring on exploring innovative digital health solutions and their potential to revolutionize the healthcare sector.

Dr Adapa, on Wednesday, had engaged in an in-depth discussion with officials from the directorate of health and family welfare, focussing on the implementation and scalability of free, open-source digital health solutions. These included electronic health records, telemedicine platforms, and health data management systems.

Particular emphasis was placed on accessibility and cost-effectiveness of open-source platforms, especially for a region with such diverse healthcare needs and limited resources. Dr Adapa stressed on the critical importance of standards and interoperability to ensure seamless integration of digital health solutions across various systems.

The discussion also covered the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating these solutions into existing healthcare systems, with a focus on data security, regulatory compliance and long-term sustainability.

On Thursday, the programme involved visits to two key health facilities: the Nagaland Health Authority Kohima and the Seikhazou Urban Primary Health Centre, offering valuable first-hand insights into the existing healthcare infrastructure and current digital health initiatives.

On Friday, the participants extended their visits to Dimapur, where they assessed two important healthcare institutions. The District Hospital, Dimapur, and the Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research, focusing on research activities, medical training programmes and healthcare technologies.