The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare launched a pilot project of the Electronic Services e-Health Assistance and Tele-consultation (E-SeHAT) service at 12 ECHS Polyclinics across the country on July 30, 2024, including seven in Delhi NCR (Shakurbasti, Timarpur, Faridabad, Palwal, Khanpur, East Delhi and Hindon) and five in remote locations of Baramulla, Imphal, Churachandpur, Dimapur and Aizawal, before its pan India rollout in November, 2024. This would facilitate Tele-consultation by ECHS beneficiaries for medical treatment without visiting the ECHS Polyclinic.

Dr Niten Chandra, Secretary, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare stated that the SeHAT-OPD for Tri-services Teleconsultation Service developed by C-DAC Mohali was implemented successfully at many Locations. However, the software was not integrated with the ECHS database of the Veterans and their Families. In order to facilitate seamless integration, some additional features related to e-Prescription have been developed. Various modules of the software such as Medical records, e-Prescription have been synced with ECHS database.

As part of the implementation of the project, IT hardware and equipment have been provided to all 427 ECHS Polyclinics across the country. The polyclinic staff has been adequately trained to offer online medical advice to ECHS beneficiaries. During the next phase, pre-consultation check of vitals and home delivery of medicines has been planned. Referral to hospitals by Medical Officers is scheduled to be implemented by 20^th August, 2024.

E-SeHAT aims to provide health care services to Ex-Servicemen and their dependents through safe and structured video based clinical consultation in line with the Tele-medicines practice guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in March 2020. The implementation of 'E-SEHAT in ECHS is set to revolutionize the way healthcare is accessed and delivered to the veterans, ensuring timely and quality medical care from the comfort of their homes. It aligns with the government's Digital India vision, promoting digital inclusivity and efficiency in accessing public services.

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SR/GC