Using AI & technology necessary to increase reach of health facilities: Governor
Sunday, 30 JUNE 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The governor lieutenant general (retd) Gurmit Singh has said that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology is necessary to increase the reach of health facilities in the State. He was participating in a discussion organised by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh on gap analysis at Raj Bhawan on Saturday.
Singh said that providing health facilities is a challenging task in the State due to its tough geographical terrain. He said that the solutions will come out only through such discussions and brainstorming. He said that the AIIMS- Delhi has made people’s access to information about all facilities easy through its dashboard and suggested that such innovative experiments are necessary in the State as well. He said that the gap in health services can be reduced by strengthening the infrastructure of health facilities and increasing its workforce capacity.
He said that use of tele-medicine, tele consultation, drone technology and helicopter ambulance have been made by the State Health department and suggested that they should be done on a more extensive scale. He said that special efforts are needed to meet the shortage of specialist doctors in the State. The governor said that suggestions coming out of the discussion will be shared with the chief minister, Health minister and chief secretary.
Participating in the discussion the director of AIIMS- Delhi, Dr M Shrinivas said that there is a need to create an integrated dashboard for health equipment and medicines in all health centres so that information about equipment and medicines is available and which can be used as per the need. He said that for the maintenance of equipment, it is necessary to appoint a biomedical engineer in every medical unit so that such equipment can be taken care of properly. Dr Shrinivas said that it is necessary to train manpower in primary health centres and efforts should be made to continuously improve the supply chain.
The principal of Himalayan University, AK Devradi said that there is a need to get into the root of the shortage of doctors and special efforts should be made to fill these vacancies. The director of Medical Education department Dr Ashutosh Sayana gave information about the efforts being made by the department to increase health facilities.
The executive director of AIIMS Rishikesh, Dr Meenu Singh thanked all those who took part in the discussions. The additional secretary to governor Swati S Bhadauria, vice chancellor of Medical Education University Madan Lal Brahmbhatt, additional secretary Amandeep Kaur, director general of Health Dr Vinita Shah and others were present on the occasion.
