Punjab Governor and Administrator of Chandigarh, Gulab Chand Kataria, has called on hospitals across the state to accelerate the adoption of digital healthcare technologies, emphasizing that digitisation is essential for delivering quality, affordable and accessible healthcare to every citizen.

Addressing healthcare stakeholders, the Governor said that digital transformation is reshaping healthcare delivery by improving efficiency, enhancing patient experience and enabling better clinical decision making. He stressed that hospitals should embrace technologies such as Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Hospital Information Management Systems (HIMS), telemedicine, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital patient services to strengthen healthcare outcomes.

Kataria noted that digitisation has the potential to streamline hospital operations, reduce paperwork, improve care coordination and facilitate quicker access to medical records, ultimately making healthcare services more patient centric. He added that adopting digital solutions will be crucial in meeting the growing healthcare needs of the population while improving accessibility and affordability.

The call aligns with the Government of India’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), which aims to build an integrated digital health ecosystem across the country. According to the latest official data, the mission has crossed 93 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) and 104 crore linked digital health records, making it one of the world’s largest digital health initiatives.

Healthcare experts believe digital technologies are transforming the sector through innovations such as AI-assisted diagnostics, remote patient monitoring, e prescriptions, digital health records and teleconsultations. These advancements are expected to improve continuity of care, reduce medical errors and strengthen healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved and rural areas.

Experts also emphasized that successful digital transformation requires investment in healthcare infrastructure, cybersecurity, workforce training and interoperability standards to ensure secure and seamless exchange of health information across healthcare providers.

The Governor’s remarks underscore the growing importance of digital health in India’s healthcare reforms and reinforce the need for hospitals to embrace technology driven solutions to improve healthcare quality, operational efficiency and patient access in the years ahead.