Telangana has shown a lot of improvement in reducing Maternal Mortality Ratio

The youngest state in India, Telangana is also one of the most ambitious and has taken several steps to adopt emerging technologies. The state is one of the first in trying to use Blockchain to ensure that land records are tamper-proof. The state is also one of the few states to have a comprehensive policy on IoT, open data and cyber security. Jayesh Ranjan, IT Secretary, Telangana, shares how the state is using technology to uplift the lives of citizens

NITI Aayog’s ‘Healthy States, Progressive India’ report ranks Telangana as an achiever in the performance category and the state has been ranked 12th in the incremental performance category. How do you see the role of technology in helping the state achieve this ranking?
Telangana is in the forefront in using technology for service delivery. Telangana is the second state in the country to use “ANM ONLINE(ANMOL).” All ANMs use tablet PC based software to track children and pregnant women. This reduces their burden of carrying bulky records and also to easily know the beneficiaries to whom services are to be given. Telangana also has a robust MIS to implement the KCR KIT and Aarogyasree Health Scheme.

What is the current status for EHR implementation?
The state is in the process of implementation of EHR. All facilities viz, Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, Area Hospitals, District Hospitals, and Teaching Hospitals will be using MIS in the coming months. Programmes like Aarogyasree, Rashtrita Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), KCR KIT, Non-Communicable Disease Control Programme etc, will be linked to create EHR for citizens.

How was Telangana able to reduce the Maternal Mortality Rate; what was the role of technology?
Telangana has shown significant improvement in reducing Maternal Mortality Ratio. The current MMR for the state is 81, whereas the all India figure is 130. The state stands at fifth position in the country. The technologies that helped to achieve this include ANMOL, KCR KIT, etc.

How has technology been used in checking eye related ailments?
The state government will launch a massive eye screening programme called Kanti Velugu in the coming months. Technology will be used in this programme, right from procurement, supply logistics, planning and in the screening and treatment.

The state is planning to launch a Citizens’ Health Profile scheme, under which the government will compile a database of health details of every single individual in the state. The health department has been developing a special software for the programme which would also be launched soon. Your comments.
The Citizen Health Profile scheme is in the planning stage. Software is being developed for this scheme on the lines of Telangana Diagnostics (an innovative scheme on providing free diagnostics to people). Telangana has developed several successful models in healthcare, including mother and child tracking system under KCR KITS scheme, Health and Wellness Centres for Employee and Journalists Health Schemes (EHS/JHS) and the Arogyasri Insurance health scheme. The success of these schemes i.e KCR KIT, EHS/JHS, Aarogyasree Health Insurance Scheme is in using robust software.

What has been the progress with respect to partnering with healthcare startups and other institutions?
We are engaging with two startups for Telangana Diagnostics, Regulation of PCPNDT Act, and RBSK Screening. In the health sector, the state is partnering with TATA Trusts in developing a Digital Nerve Centre for Non-Communicable Disease Screening and Cancer Care.