In News:

The Union Ministry of Health is set to launch e-Sushrut@Clinic, a cloud-based Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) aimed at enabling small and medium healthcare facilities to adopt affordable digital healthcare solutions and strengthen the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) ecosystem.

About e-Sushrut@Clinic

• e-Sushrut@Clinic is a lightweight, cloud-based HMIS developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
• It is specifically designed for outpatient clinics, primary health centres (PHCs), Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs), sub-centres, private clinics, and medium-sized healthcare facilities.
• The platform caters to a wide range of healthcare professionals, including general practitioners, specialists, pharmacists, nurses, laboratory technicians, allied health workers, and clinic administrators.
• It is a simplified version of the flagship e-Sushrut HMIS, which is already operational in 17 AIIMS and over 4,000 healthcare facilities across India.
• The initiative seeks to reduce dependence on manual record-keeping and eliminate the need for costly IT infrastructure, making healthcare digitisation accessible to smaller establishments.

Key Features

• Comprehensive Digital Clinic Management: Supports patient registration, outpatient management, electronic preions, billing, pharmacy, nursing services, MIS reporting, and digital health records.
• Cloud-Based Architecture: Can be accessed through laptops or mobile devices without requiring dedicated servers or advanced technical expertise.
• ABDM Integration: Seamlessly integrates with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, including the Health Facility Registry (HFR), Health Professional Registry (HPR), and ABHA-enabled digital health ecosystem.
• Easy Onboarding: Healthcare providers can register through HFR/HPR or complete registration directly on the platform.
• Clinical Decision Support: Incorporates AIIMS-developed Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) for hypertension and diabetes to assist doctors in diagnosis and treatment.
• Speech-to-Text Functionality: Enables faster and more efficient clinical documentation.
• Online and Offline Operations: Ensures uninterrupted clinic management even in areas with limited internet connectivity.
• Affordable Pricing: Available at ?499 per month for up to five users. Under the partnership between the National Health Authority (NHA) and C-DAC, eligible users receive a ?200 monthly subsidy, reducing the effective subion cost to ?299 per month. Additional users can be added at ?50 per month, while the first three months are offered free of cost.

Implementation and Future Roadmap

• More than 800 healthcare facilities have already adopted the platform, generating over 680 digital health records during the initial rollout.
• Under the collaboration between NHA and C-DAC:
  • NHA will provide cloud hosting, SMS services, customer support, and ecosystem integration.
  • C-DAC will be responsible for software maintenance, upgrades, and nationwide expansion.
• The initiative is expected to accelerate the digitisation of primary healthcare institutions and deepen the reach of India's digital health ecosystem under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

In News:

• India’s healthcare system is undergoing rapid digital transformation under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), launched in 2021 to build an integrated digital health infrastructure.
• In this context, the National Health Authority (NHA) and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) have signed an MoU to roll out e-Sushrut@Clinic—a lightweight, government-backed Hospital Management Information System (HMIS).
• Designed specifically for small and medium healthcare providers, this initiative seeks to bridge the digital divide, enhance interoperability, and empower clinics with affordable, secure, and efficient digital solutions.

Need for a Digital HMIS for Small Providers

• The demand for a trustworthy and affordable HMIS has been persistent, especially among small clinics and medium hospitals that face resource constraints.
• Feedback from ABDM microsites revealed the challenges of adopting costly and fragmented private solutions. While large hospitals like AIIMS have already benefitted from C-DAC’s flagship e-Sushrut HMIS—currently operational in 17 AIIMS and over 4,000 health facilities—a simplified version was needed for smaller stakeholders.
• By addressing these gaps, e-Sushrut@Clinic provides a low-cost, easy-to-adopt, and ABDM-enabled platform that ensures inclusivity in India’s digital health journey.

Features of e-Sushrut@Clinic

• Lightweight Cloud-Based System: Tailored for outpatient management, with pharmacy and nursing modules.
• Ease of Onboarding: Providers can register using the Health Facility Registry (HFR) and Health Professionals Registry (HPR). Even unregistered facilities can directly sign up on the platform.
• Comprehensive Utilities: Facilitates patient record digitization, prescriptions, billing, and telemedicine with minimal technical burden.
• Integration with ABDM Tools: Enables interoperability across the health ecosystem.
• Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS): Offers free AIIMS-developed modules for hypertension and diabetes, supporting doctors in evidence-based diagnosis and treatment.
• Patient-Centric Benefits: Enhances efficiency, data security, and patient satisfaction through transparent and reliable digital care.

Significance for Healthcare Delivery

• For Providers – Simplifies administrative processes, reduces paperwork, and improves continuity of care.
• For Patients – Facilitates secure access to health records, better treatment planning, and telemedicine consultations.
• For the System – Creates a standardised, interoperable, and government-backed HMIS that strengthens trust and accelerates the adoption of ABDM.

By reducing barriers to digital adoption, this initiative will benefit tens of thousands of doctors and facility managers nationwide.

Contribution to ABDM and Digital India

• e-Sushrut@Clinic is a pivotal step in expanding the ABDM ecosystem, which aims to create a digital health highway connecting patients, providers, and policymakers. Its low per-user cost ensures affordability, while government backing guarantees credibility.
• The platform complements other digital health initiatives by promoting transparency, efficiency, and interoperability.
• Moreover, it aligns with the Digital India mission, ensuring that even small clinics in rural and semi-urban areas can be integrated into the national digital health infrastructure.