Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda launched m-Health initiatives which will make services cost effective. The services have been launched on the sidelines of commitment to priorities public health and strengthen citizen-centric health services by leveraging India’s expanding mobile phone penetration.
- J P Nadda has launched 4 mobile health (mHealth) services – Kilkari, Mobile Academy, M-Cessation and TB Missed Call initiative.
About newly launched Initiatives:
Kilkari
It means “baby’s gurgle” delivers free, weekly, time-appropriate 72 audio messages about pregnancy, child birth and child care directly to family’s mobile phones from the second trimester of pregnancy until the child is one year old.
- It is being launched in Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in the first phase.
Mobile Academy
It is a free audio training course designed to expand knowledge base of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and improve their communication skill by offering ASHAs a training opportunity via their mobile phones which is both cost-effective and efficient.
- It is being launched in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.
M-Cessation
It aims at reaching out to those willing to quit tobacco use and support them towards successful quitting through text messages. It has been found to be cost-effective in comparison to traditional options for cessation support.
- This is first time in the world that such a two way service is being provided as part of any mHealth initiative.
TB Missed Call initiative
A helpline with a toll free number will provide information, counselling and treatment support services for TB.
- Under this campaign, caller get information related to TB symptoms, treatment services available address and contact details of the nearest treatment facility etc.
- It is being launched in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi.
Other Initiative:
As a part of Digital India, OPD registration at AIIMS, New Delhi has been made online which has resulted in cutting down waiting time of a large section of people from about six hours to nearly one hour.