AYUSH institutions across India are set to embrace innovative ideas shared at a two-day national workshop, accelerating efforts to bridge the digital divide and boost the popularity of AYUSH services across the country.
Workshop Highlights and Participation
Organised at Kumarakom by the National AYUSH Mission (NAM) Kerala in association with the State Department of AYUSH and under the aegis of the Union AYUSH Ministry, the event brought together delegates from 28 States and eight Union Territories. Senior officials shared best practices and committed to implementing citizen-centric digital solutions in their respective States.
As per the press release, the workshop aimed to develop a comprehensive and inter-operable digital framework for AYUSH, ensuring smoother, more transparent, and efficient healthcare services.
Manipur’s Digital Push
Manipur announced plans to implement central biometric Aadhaar-based attendance for staff across its 24 AYUSH institutions. “To implement this in Manipur, we have connected with the National Informatics Centre for a hopeful collaboration,” said Dr. Bishwanath Sharma, Additional Director, Directorate of AYUSH, Manipur.
Impressed by Kerala’s NextGen e-hospital model—a one-stop solution that digitally connects patients with hospitals and doctors—Manipur plans to adopt a similar system. The state will also launch a Learning Management System (LMS) inspired by NAM Kerala.
Delhi’s Move Towards Digitization
Despite its advancements, Delhi continues to rely on largely manual operations. Dr. Akhilesh Vashishtha, AYUSH Consultant from Delhi, stated, “Right from the first step of giving a patient their token at the counter, we need to go digital for improved efficiency and complete transparency.” The workshop offered Delhi a roadmap for modernizing its processes.
Positive Reactions from Northern States
A senior official from North India praised Kerala’s initiatives, calling them “marvelous” and noting that they showcased how States can implement “wonderful initiatives” with digital technology.
Jharkhand’s Integration Plans
Jharkhand delegates discussed the potential benefits of integrating the state’s existing Drugs and Vaccine Distribution Management System (DVDMS) with Kerala’s innovative A-HiMS 2.0 (AYUSH Homeopathy Information Management System). “This will ease the entire chain of operations,” said Dr. Priya Nandan, Implementation Officer, IT Cell, Jharkhand.
Karnataka’s HR and ERP Focus
NAM Karnataka Project Director, Saraswathi Navalli, emphasized the advantages of adopting A-HiMS for HR management and payroll of contract staff. She also highlighted that ERP software could streamline business operations, reporting, monitoring, sales, and finance.
Gujarat’s Plans for e-Hospital Adoption
Gujarat officials expressed interest in adopting e-hospital software for OPD and casualty patient registration, as well as appointment booking and cancellations. “We also got fresh ideas that can bring new features to our HR modules,” said Jayesh M. Parmar, Director, AYUSH Gujarat.
Field Visits for First-Hand Learning
To conclude the initiative, participants will visit Kerala’s AYUSH facilities across three districts over the weekend. These field visits will offer first-hand exposure to diverse service delivery models. They include the Sports Ayurveda Project and programs such as Arogyanouka, Palliative Care, Drishti, and Ayurkarma.