AGARTALA | Tripura has set October 31 as the deadline for fully digitalising healthcare services across the state, with the government aiming to create a more integrated, technology-driven and patient-friendly medical system.

Health and Family Welfare Secretary Kiran Gitte announced the deadline on Tuesday while addressing a workshop on the Integrated Health Management Information System (IHMIS) at Pragya Bhavan in Agartala.

Gitte said several health-related councils, including those governing medical, pharmacy, nursing and allied health services, had already shifted to online systems. He said the digitalisation of drug procurement and supply-chain management had also demonstrated that technology-driven systems could be implemented despite manpower constraints.

“If these councils and supply chain management for drug procurement can function digitally despite limited manpower, implementing digital systems across all other healthcare sectors is entirely achievable,” he said. The government intends to extend digital systems across healthcare facilities in the state within the October 31 deadline.

Gitte said the initiative would reduce dependence on manual processes, improve coordination between healthcare facilities and make patient services faster and more efficient. He compared the proposed transformation with the widespread use of digital platforms for services such as ticket booking, banking, insurance payments and school admissions, saying similar integration was possible in healthcare.

“Time is our biggest challenge, but our goal is clear and achievable,” Gitte said.

Under the proposed unified digital healthcare framework, patients’ medical histories would be securely accessible across different healthcare centres. This is expected to improve continuity of treatment and enable doctors to access relevant medical information more quickly.

The initiative is also aimed at linking healthcare facilities across Tripura and streamlining administrative and clinical processes. Gitte highlighted the state’s achievements in areas such as ease of doing business reforms, the PM-JANMAN scheme and rural development, saying the digital healthcare initiative could further strengthen Tripura’s position as a technology-driven state.

Officials said the broader objective is to create a seamless digital healthcare ecosystem that reduces paperwork, improves service delivery and ultimately makes medical care more accessible to patients across the state.