India's health authority launches digital academy to accelerate electronic record adoption

The National Health Authority announced the launch of a new digital academy to fast-track the adoption of electronic medical records and hospital information systems under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. In partnership with the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers and the Centre for Health, Applied Knowledge and Research Autonomy, the academy will run two paid certificate programs in October covering digital health toolkits and compliance standards.

Government district magistrates have been directed to sponsor training for public-sector hospital administrators, chief medical officers and IT managers, while private hospitals are expected to finance their own participation. The initiative responds to persistent bottlenecks such as high integration costs, legacy system incompatibility and clinician resistance, which have limited the flow of data despite more than 974.5 million patient IDs and 1.17 billion health records linked to the national network.

Officials highlighted that structured guidance and standardized accreditation can help facilities align with national privacy and consent rules. Health experts, including Alexander Thomas of the Association of Healthcare Providers in India, praised the effort as a significant step toward a more uniform digital health ecosystem.