Reported by Bit Irom
Imphal: The National Health Authority (NHA), in collaboration with the Government of Manipur, has launched an ambitious initiative to modernise the state’s healthcare system by integrating digital health services and improving access to medical care.
The move gained momentum following a high-level meeting between Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and NHA Chief Executive Officer Dr Sunil Kumar Barnwal at Raj Bhavan in Imphal on Wednesday. During the meeting, Imphal West district was officially designated as a pilot model district for the development of a comprehensive and integrated digital health ecosystem.
Governor Bhalla underscored the need to strengthen healthcare infrastructure, improve the delivery of quality medical services, and accelerate the adoption of digital health technologies across the state. He stressed the importance of close coordination between the State Government and the NHA to ensure that healthcare reforms effectively reach all sections of society.
During the discussions, Dr Barnwal briefed the Governor on key initiatives being implemented by the NHA, including the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), Unified Health Interface (UHI), Health Information Exchange and Consent Manager (HIE-CM), National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), and the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA).
The NHA also highlighted flagship healthcare programmes such as the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card for senior citizens and the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), which provides eligible families with annual cashless health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh.
Later, addressing a workshop jointly organised by ABDM Manipur and AB-PMJAY, Dr Barnwal emphasised the importance of integrating Manipur into the country’s rapidly expanding digital healthcare network.
He noted that more than 80,000 beneficiaries across India receive treatment under PMJAY every day. Over the past seven-and-a-half years, the scheme has facilitated treatment for more than 12 crore patients, with the government spending nearly Rs 1.9 lakh crore on healthcare services.
In Manipur, around 3.73 lakh families were initially covered under PMJAY when the scheme was introduced in 2018. So far, nearly seven lakh beneficiaries have been issued PMJAY cards.
Dr Barnwal urged the state government to ensure that all 16 lakh eligible residents are enrolled under the scheme, stating that wider coverage would enable more people to benefit from the integrated digital healthcare ecosystem and improved access to quality medical services.