Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh: The Haryana government is working to bring its entire public healthcare network onto a single digital map, allowing citizens to access information about government hospitals, primary health centres (PHCs), sub-health centres and Ayush facilities through a unified platform.
The initiative will use Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping to consolidate information about healthcare institutions managed by the state’s Health, Ayush, and Medical Education and Research departments. The platform is also expected to help policymakers identify gaps in healthcare infrastructure and plan improvements across urban, semi-urban and rural areas.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, Dr Sumita Mishra, reviewed the progress of the project at a meeting in Chandigarh on Sunday. Officials presented GIS mapping data covering healthcare facilities across Haryana.
What Information Will The Digital Health Map Provide?
According to the state government, the proposed digital interface will provide details about the geographical location of healthcare facilities, basic institutional information and photographs.
By bringing these records together, the platform aims to make information about government healthcare infrastructure easier to access. Citizens could use it to locate nearby public health facilities and learn about the basic services and infrastructure available at different institutions.
The initiative is also intended to improve transparency and make information more accessible to the public, wherever feasible.
How Will GIS Mapping Help Haryana’s Healthcare System?
Beyond public access, the digital map is expected to give government departments a consolidated view of the state’s healthcare infrastructure.
Officials could use the information to assess how health facilities are distributed geographically and identify areas that may require additional infrastructure, investment or closer monitoring.
The consolidated database could also reduce dependence on separate departmental records, making it easier to assess the status and infrastructure profiles of government healthcare institutions.
The initiative is particularly relevant for Haryana, where healthcare facilities are spread across cities, towns and rural communities. Location-specific information can help authorities assess whether existing infrastructure meets local requirements and identify areas that may be underserved.
HARSAC To Provide Technical Support
The Haryana Space Applications Centre (HARSAC), the state’s nodal agency for remote sensing and geospatial applications, will provide technical support for managing the GIS database.
Representatives of HARSAC assured the Health Department that the agency would assist in maintaining the database and facilitate the sharing of relevant information with other Haryana government departments.
The proposed interdepartmental data-sharing system is expected to support evidence-based decisions on infrastructure development, improvements to existing facilities and administrative monitoring.
Health, Ayush And Medical Education Departments To Be Connected
The participation of the Health, Ayush, and Medical Education and Research departments is expected to provide a more integrated picture of Haryana’s public healthcare network, bringing institutions operating under different administrative authorities onto a common platform.
The government aims to use this consolidated information to improve coordination between departments and support more informed planning of healthcare services.
The initiative is currently at the mapping and development stage, with officials reviewing progress on the collection and integration of facility-level data.
