« A strong political will at the highest level » will be needed for the development and success of digital health in India, said Mark Landry, Regional Advisor in South-East Asia, WHO.
He advised the country to learn from other states in which the sector is booming, such as Australia. The two nations have recently signed an agreement to collaborate in the field of health in the long term.
Adapting solutions developed in Australia to the Indian standards
« Having very, very strong political will at the highest level with proper leadership and guidance is most essential for the successful implementation of digital healthcare in the country, » Mark Landry (WHO, South-East Asia) said in May 2017 at the « Digital Health and Technology » round table in the capital organized by the George Institute for Global Health in partnership with the Australian High Commission in India.
« Learning from other countries like Australia and Canada where digital health has made a difference and adapting them to the Indian standards can further boost e-health in the country, » he added.
The round table was an opportunity for experts and decision makers in the healthcare sector to discuss solutions required in the delivery of health services, advances in medical health and digital technologies, regulatory challenges and implementation experiences in Australia and India.
digital health: a MoU between India and Australia
Earlier in 2017, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) committing themselves to continuing cooperation between the two countries and building long-term collaboration in the health sector.
Australia has developed a « high-level vision and goals »
« EHealth is an incredibly significant issue. All state governments in Australia have a high-level vision and goals for digitizing health which is supported by raising the levels of digital health maturity across the system, » Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy said.
This willingness to deploy digital health through the development of advanced technologies could help boost e-healthcare in India, said Vivekanand Jha, executive director of the George Institute for Global Health, recalling that the country « recently launched the National Health Policy 2017 outlining the road map towards a ‘National Digital Health Authority’ ».