Karnataka will soon launch a ‘State Health Register’ that will maintain the health records of all the citizens.
"The initiative will be the first of its kind in the country as the proposed register will act as a robust and standardized health repository of 6.5 crore citizens. There is an urgent need to focus on better healthcare for all. The COVID-19 experience has demonstrated the need to have a robust and real-time public health data," said Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar, who held the preliminary meeting to discuss the ambitious project with medical experts from both government and private hospitals, in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
In the pilot project which will be implemented in Chikkaballapur district, a door-to-door survey will be carried out by teams comprising Primary Health Centre officials, revenue officials, education department staff and ASHA workers, who will collect exhaustive health data of every household.
"The data will help the government to provide better health care, with efficient resource allocation, management and better implementation of various citizen-centric schemes in the state," said Sudhakar, adding that the massive exercise would require huge funds, manpower and a blueprint.
"We need accurate data to make our vision a reality. The health register is a futuristic project, which will see 50 per cent partnership of private hospitals. We will need technical support from the private sector to collate data, which will help us prioritise healthcare based on geography, demography and other targeted measures," explained Sudhakar, who also informed that Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had assured all support for the project as it gives every citizen the access to world class healthcare.