Health minister K. K. Shailaja has emphasised the importance of Kerala’s startups in the state’s healthcare system. Speaking at a symposium jointly organised by the Cochin Cancer Research Centre and Kerala Startup Mission, Shailaja touted the role of Kerala’s startups in care for diseases such as cancer. “We at the ministry keep getting requests for […]
Technology
A digital health blueprint for universal healthcare
Dr Harsh Vardhan has urged stakeholders to work towards implementing India’s digital health blueprint in order to facilitate a digital health economy. “[The] Government of India is committed to ensuring high quality healthcare, accessible to all upto the last mile,” said Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Science and Technology. “The digital […]
Nanopharmaceuticals: A regulatory framework
The Centre has moved to lay down the law on nanopharmaceuticals, with the release of guidelines at the end of last week to promote them and ensure they are regulated on par with other medicines and medical products. The ‘Guidelines for Evaluation of Nanopharmaceuticals in India’ were jointly prepared by the Department of Biotechnology under […]
Start-ups get a shoutout from Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has touted the role of start-ups in India’s economy – and highlighted their value as a tool for improving public health. “Today, India is aspiring to become a $5 trillion economy,” the Prime Minister said whilst speaking at the 56th convocation of the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) in Chennai. “Your […]
Google and India to work together on a digital society
Google and India will cooperate to create a ‘Digital India’ – with healthcare playing a role. The initiative – a collaboration announced by the internet giant and the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) – will reach out to students of engineering to create digital technology solutions to pressing social issues, including health. […]
Digital health records are being used more and more. Are they secure?
Digital health records are increasingly popular among healthcare professionals, with recent data suggesting 76 percent of practitioners use them. This was according to a report published by Royal Phillips, a global health technology company which stated “digital health technology is a pivotal pillar in delivering value-based care across the healthcare continuum in India.” This trend […]
Digital health blueprint announced by Dr Vardhan
The government will utilise digital health to expand access to healthcare and achieve universal health coverage (UHC), Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has pledged. The National Digital Health Blueprint, which Vardhan announced in New Delhi yesterday, will serve to implement a National Digital Health Ecosystem with the goal of “[establishing] state-of-the-art digital health systems.” […]
AI in healthcare: The coming expansion
The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is one of the most significant trends to have emerged in digital health in recent years. New projections suggest the sector can expect significant growth in the next few years. By 2026, forecasters have said AI-based healthcare will be worth US$8 billion – a growth of 49.7 […]
In major error, millions of pregnant women’s data leaked online
In a major technical error, more than 12.5 million medical records belonging to pregnant women were left exposed and available for public consumption. Failure to secure a database containing the records – some of which dated back to 2014 – saw sensitive information left publically accessible. It was not until a researcher discovered the error […]
Heart data: Does it offer new hope for heart health?
Dubai-based researchers have pioneered a novel new technology which could offer hope for those suffering from heart ailments. Scientists at the University of Birmingham Dubai have unveiled ElectroMap software which could play an important role in processing heart data. Existing technologies can monitor the electrical activity of the heart and detect when conditions such as […]