Pradeep Vennelakanti

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Chittoor

The Sanjeevani Digital Health Project, a major public healthcare initiative aimed at strengthening preventive healthcare services through technology-driven systems is all set to be implemented across the state in the next couple of months. After recording encouraging results during the pilot phase in Kuppam, the government has started expanding the programme in a phased manner to cover rural and urban populations.

The large-scale rollout of the project across the Chittoor district formally began at Yadamari of Puthalapattu constituency in Chittoor district on Saturday. As part of the programme, the state government has sanctioned Rs 162 crore for the deployment of 904 Mobile Medical Units in remote and rural areas. Authorities have also set a target of conducting health screenings for nearly 56.40 lakh people within the next year. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to ensure that medical test reports are delivered to beneficiaries through WhatsApp within 48 hours to improve accessibility and speed of service.

Unlike regular health screening drives, Sanjeevani has been designed as a long-term healthcare management system. The programme combines doorstep screenings, digital health records, specialist consultations and artificial intelligence-based health advisories to provide continuous healthcare monitoring, particularly for people suffering from chronic and lifestyle-related diseases.

During the pilot phase in Kuppam, more than 80,000 residents were enrolled under the programme and over 70,000 medical tests were conducted. Following the response received during the trial phase, the government decided to extend the initiative across the state.

A major feature of the programme is the creation of Digital Health Profiles for every registered person. These profiles will contain prescriptions, diagnostic reports, medical history and follow-up details in digital format. Doctors will be able to access patient records from anywhere in the state, helping reduce repeated tests and improving treatment accuracy.

The project has been developed with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Tata Consultancy Services. A centralised Digital Nerve Centre has also been established to integrate health data collected from Primary Health Centres, village clinics and hospitals.

Under the programme, 42 different medical tests will be conducted covering major health concerns including diabetes, hypertension, cardiac ailments, kidney disorders, respiratory diseases, cancers and maternal and child health issues. Health experts believe the initiative can strengthen preventive healthcare services and reduce pressure on tertiary hospitals through early detection and continuous monitoring. Officials said screenings would be conducted through village and ward secretariats to improve access to healthcare services in both rural and urban areas. Artificial intelligence tools integrated into the system will generate health scores, issue reminders for follow-up consultations and support preventive care measures.