Nagaland took a significant step towards building a digitally connected healthcare system with the launch of the Model District & Model Facilities Initiative under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), with Dimapur selected as the state’s Model District and District Hospital Dimapur designated as the Model Public Health Facility.
The initiative was officially launched during a state-level workshop organized by the National Health Authority (NHA) in collaboration with the Directorate of Health & Family Welfare at Zone Niathu by The Park, Chumoukedima.
Launching the programme, Dr Sunil Kumar Barnwal said the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission seeks to transform healthcare delivery through a citizen-centric, digitally integrated ecosystem. He noted that healthcare services in India have traditionally operated through fragmented systems and stressed that ABDM offers an opportunity to connect healthcare facilities, professionals and patients through a secure, consent-based digital platform.
He said that the initiative was not only about treatment but also about promoting preventive healthcare and wellness through evidence-based planning and use of health data.
Barnwal highlighted the importance of the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), describing it as a unique digital health identity that would enable citizens to securely access and manage their health records while ensuring continuity of care across healthcare institutions. He said the Mission would empower patients by giving them greater control over their health information and facilitate seamless access to medical services.
Referring to the Health Facility Registry (HFR) and Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR), he said the digital registries would help citizens locate verified healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals across the country while enhancing transparency and accessibility within the healthcare system.
He emphasized on the need for healthcare institutions to transition from paper-based systems to end-to-end digital systems. He said digital registration and billing alone were insufficient and called upon healthcare facilities to fully integrate clinical records and service delivery systems with ABDM. He added that successful implementation would require both technological adoption and a change of mindset.
He further underscored the significance of digital health data in improving planning, decision-making and future healthcare innovations, and urged all hospitals empanelled under AB-PMJAY and CMHIS to become part of the national digital health ecosystem.
Dr Barnwal called upon all stakeholders to work collectively towards creating a robust, transparent and patient-centric healthcare system in Nagaland.
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Welcoming the participants, Principal Director, Health & Family Welfare, Dr Mereninla Senlem described the occasion as a major milestone in Nagaland’s digital health journey and reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to building a more connected, efficient and patient-centric healthcare system through ABDM.
She said the selection of Dimapur as the Model District presents an opportunity to demonstrate how digital health solutions can strengthen healthcare delivery, improve continuity of care and enhance health outcomes.
She stressed that the success of the initiative would depend on the collective efforts of healthcare providers, administrators and technical partners and urged stakeholders to actively contribute ideas and experiences to strengthen implementation.
Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur, Dr Tinojongshi Chang said Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is harnessing digital transformation to make healthcare services more accessible, transparent and patient-friendly. He described Dimapur’s selection as recognition of the collaborative efforts of the Health Department, healthcare workers and stakeholders in the district.
He called upon healthcare professionals to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that quality healthcare services reached the grassroots and that every citizen benefited from the initiative. Assuring the district administration’s full support, he reaffirmed its commitment towards the successful implementation of the programme and thanked the National Health Authority and the Department of Health & Family Welfare for bringing the initiative to the State.
The inaugural function concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr Nyanthung Kikon, SNO, ABDM Nagaland. The programme aimed to support the transition of healthcare institutions from conventional administrative systems to a secure, integrated and paperless digital healthcare ecosystem. The inaugural session was followed by technical sessions on the objectives of the Model District Initiative, implementation of NextGen e-Hospital, District Health Information System (DHIS), stakeholder responsibilities, support requirements and strategies for accelerating digital health adoption across the State.
