A new portal has been launched to help the government keep track of the status of Meghalaya’s health centres.
The Geo Web Portal for Health Centres was inaugurated Dr HC Lyndem, the Director of Health Services (MI) here today.
The comprehensive mapping of existing health facilities is a critical component of effective healthcare planning. The portal, developed by the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) in Umiam in collaboration with the DHS (MI), utilises satellite imagery and a mobile app to geotag all health resources across the state.
This extensive mapping includes meticulous documentation of infrastructure details. The portal provides rich information through space technology mapping. It plays a crucial role in assessing existing health resources by considering factors such as road connectivity, population density and topography. The portal facilitates accessibility analysis and gap analysis, identifying vulnerable populations in remote or hard-to-reach areas. The Meghalaya Geospatial Health Resource Information System integrates these insights into a Unified Geo-Health Information System, a press release informed today.
This interconnected system combines map intelligence, applications, health data, and people for holistic decision-making. The goal is to optimize the placement of health resources and plan new infrastructure to reach a maximum number of people across the state.
During the launch, PS Singh, a senior scientist from NESAC, provided a detailed technical presentation, justifying the need for space-based solutions. He showcased various geospatial tools to effectively analyze health resources in the state. Dibyajyoti Chutia, Head of the Geo-Informatics division at NESAC, who supervises the project, highlighted the governance solutions implemented for different departments in the North Eastern region.
This initiative aims to enhance overall healthcare planning, ensuring a more effective response to the diverse healthcare needs of the population and fostering a resilient and accessible healthcare infrastructure.