State health bodies play a crucial role in strengthening the healthcare infrastructure within their states, with a focus on improving public health outcomes, preventing and managing diseases, and providing accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare. It is essential for these bodies to set goals, make time-bound action plans, and align them towards shared goals, while also integrating digital advancements in the medical healthcare system at the ground level. This integration includes the establishment of electronic health records, telemedicine sessions, and AI- driven screening tools for diseases, as well as the exploration of smart wearable devices and improvements in real-time data exchange to enhance patient monitoring and emergency response.
In this regards, Ajay Chagti, Secretary Health, Medical Education and Ayush, chandigarh  has interected with Veloxx Media. At the forefront of these efforts is Ajay Chagti, who has been instrumental in driving initiatives that enhance healthcare access and quality in the state of Chandigarh.
Below are the given edited excerpts
As the Secretary of Health for Chandigarh, what are your primary responsibilities and the key goals you are working towards in the healthcare sector?
Various programs of GoI under National Health Mission etc. aimed at improving public health outcomes are being implemented. Preventing and managing communicable/ non-communicable and lifestyle diseases is the primary responsibility. A major role is to strengthen health infrastructure and address emerging health issues. As Health Secretary, one is required to set goals, make time-bound action plans, align them towards shared goals, motivate teams to accomplish the targets and guide them about strategic initiatives in public health. For this, social skills, instead of power and control are required.
Health department’s key goal is to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare. We are focussed on enhancing patient experience by adopting different
strategies including palliative and rehabilitative services, adopting technology, disaster mitigation/planning and upgrading infrastructure.
Chandigarh is known for its urban development, but how would you assess the state of its healthcare infrastructure in comparison to other major cities in India?
As per SDG Index 2023-24, Chandigarh is second among all UTs and 3rd amongst all States & UTs. With 4400 beds, it has the highest bed to population ratio. It has two tertiary level medical institutions. Patients from about 8 states visit Chandigarh for quality health services. Saturation under most of the Government schemes has been achieved. Under PM-ABHIM, expanded range of 12 health services and free drugs and diagnostics are provided.
Chandigarh is also a hub for health tourism. How is the administration working to further leverage this potential while maintaining the quality of healthcare for residents?
Health tourism strategy revolves around three aspects: (i) Treatment for curative purposes e.g. cardiac surgery, organ transplant, hip and knee replacement etc. (ii) rejuvenation or aesthetic offerings such as cosmetic surgery, stress relief, spas etc. and (iii) access to traditional systems of medicines such to as India’s offering of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy). A 50 bedded AYUSH integrated hospital is coming up in Sector 34 which will facilitate the process. At the micro level we are trying for state of the art medical facilities, reputed healthcare professionals and fast track appointments.
With the growing role of digital health services, how is the Chandigarh Administration incorporating technology into healthcare delivery, especially in terms of telemedicine, electronic health records, and AI-driven health solutions?
All health data is uploaded on GoI portals. HMIS has made operational. ABDM ecosystem is the backbone of digital health care services. Under ABDM, about 13 lakh electronic Health Records have been uploaded on the Central portal. Scan and Share facility is operational in Government Medical College & Hospital, District Hospital, sub-district hospital and the two civil hospitals. About 80,000 Tele-medicine sessions have been held. Drugs and Vaccine Distribution Management System (DVDMS) software was launched
10 months ago. DVDMS portal is functional in all the Health Facilities.
An AI-powered cough-sound-based screening tool for pulmonary tuberculosis to enable the early detection and treatment of TB in community settings has been initiated. This solution provides a non- invasive, low-cost, point-of-care rapid screening tool. The AI model that drives this screening tool utilizes cough sound data, along with patient-reported symptoms and comorbidities (history of diabetes, COVID-19, tobacco, and alcohol consumption) to assess the likelihood of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Other AI/IoT based solutions are being contemplated e.g. smart wearable devices. The heart signals collected from wearable devices with the consent of concerned persons can be used to detect abnormal heart rhythms. The devices can send data to cloud-based servers where AI algorithms could notify alerts through a shared platform. Further, with 5G, it would be possible to exchange information between ambulances, medical officers, first responders, and emergency wings in real time which would save time and facilitate improved decision making.
India has ambitious goals for healthcare in terms of universal health coverage. What role do you see Chandigarh playing in achieving these national objectives?
Universal health coverage is embedded in the Sustainable Development Goals. It implies that everyone, everywhere, can access the health services they need without risk of financial hardship. These services include the full range of essential health services, spanning health promotion, prevention, and treatment. Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) was launched in 2018, as a step towards Universal Health Coverage
(UHC). In Chandigarh, 100 percent target of including at-least one family member of all eligible families has been achieved. Chandigarh provides free, comprehensive primary health care services, for all aspects of reproductive, maternal, child and adolescent health and for the most prevalent communicable, non- communicable and occupational diseases in the population Non- communicable Diseases (NCD) related health camps are held in all health facilities on every Monday & Thursday in campaign mode. Screenings are done for hypertension, diabetes and 3 common cancers – oral, breast and cervical cancers based on Risk Assessment through Community Based Assessment Checklist (CBAC).
Summary
This interview with Ajay Chagti, Secretary of Health for Chandigarh, reveals the administration’s commitment to enhancing public health through various national programs, achieving high healthcare infrastructure standards, and developing health tourism while maintaining service quality. Key goals include the prevention of diseases, leveraging technological advancements in healthcare delivery, and achieving universal health coverage for residents and visitors alike.
