Manipur: Imphal West Selected as Pilot District for Digital Health Transformation Initiative
Imphal, June 25: In a significant step toward modernising healthcare services, the National Health Authority (NHA), in partnership with the Government of Manipur, has launched a major digital health transformation initiative aimed at improving healthcare accessibility, efficiency, and service delivery across the state.
The initiative received a major boost following a high-level meeting between Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and National Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal at Raj Bhavan in Imphal. During the meeting, Imphal West district was officially selected as the pilot model district for the development of a comprehensive digital health ecosystem.
The pilot project is expected to serve as a foundation for the future expansion of digital healthcare services across Manipur, integrating advanced health technologies with existing healthcare infrastructure.
During the discussions, Governor Bhalla emphasized the importance of strengthening healthcare facilities, enhancing the quality of medical services, and accelerating the adoption of digital health solutions to benefit citizens across urban and rural areas alike. He also stressed the need for close coordination between the State Government and the NHA to ensure effective implementation of healthcare reforms.
Dr. Barnwal briefed the Governor on several flagship digital health initiatives currently being implemented nationwide under the National Health Authority. These include the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), Unified Health Interface (UHI), Health Information Exchange and Consent Manager (HIE-CM), National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), and the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA).
The discussions also highlighted key healthcare schemes such as the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), which provides eligible families with annual cashless health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh, as well as the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card designed for senior citizens.
Later, while addressing a workshop jointly organised by ABDM Manipur and AB-PMJAY, Dr. Barnwal stressed the importance of integrating Manipur into India’s rapidly expanding digital healthcare framework.
He noted that more than 80,000 beneficiaries receive treatment under PMJAY every day across the country. Since its launch, the scheme has facilitated healthcare services for over 12 crore patients, with government expenditure on treatments reaching nearly ₹1.9 lakh crore over the past seven-and-a-half years.
In Manipur, approximately 3.73 lakh families were initially brought under PMJAY coverage when the scheme was introduced in 2018. Officials informed that nearly seven lakh beneficiaries in the state have already been issued PMJAY cards.
Dr. Barnwal urged the state government to intensify efforts to ensure enrollment of all 16 lakh eligible residents under the scheme. He said wider participation would allow more citizens to benefit from cashless healthcare services, digital health records, and a more integrated healthcare delivery system.
The selection of Imphal West as the pilot district marks an important milestone in Manipur’s healthcare modernization efforts and is expected to pave the way for improved healthcare accessibility, transparency, and efficiency across the state.
