Bihar tops the nation in digital healthcare, with over 90 per cent health facilities almost paperless
The state is setting new benchmarks in accessible and efficient public health delivery, with a remarkable 92 per cent online OPD registration rate at government health facilities and the highest number of QR code scans for patient check-ins
CEO of Bihar Swasthya Suraksha Samiti, Shashank Shekhar Sinha, highlighted the state's achievements and said that the state not only leads in QR code scans for OPD registration but also tops the country in the number of Electronic Health Records (e-prescriptions) generated. He further noted that Bihar has received the highest incentives under the Central Government's Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS), which are being reinvested to strengthen the state's digital health infrastructure.
State Health Committee Administrative Officer Rajesh Kumar said that the state's BHAVYA (Bihar Health Applications Visionary Yojana for All) model, aligned with ABDM, has redefined healthcare accessibility and monitoring across the state.
According to Kumar, paperless health facilities under digital healthcare were possible following the 'Scan and Share' initiative under ABDM, which allows patients to scan a QR code at the entry of a health facility and directly proceed to a consultation without the hassle of long queues or paperwork. This simple yet revolutionary step, along with widespread adoption of ABHA IDs (Ayushman Bharat Health Account), has dramatically reduced patient turnaround time in government hospitals, from over an hour earlier to an average of just 45 minutes now, covering consultation to medicine disbursal.
Kumar further said that Bihar's state-of-the-art Command and Control Centre, a technological nerve centre in the state capital, monitors real-time feeds from all district hospitals and health facilities across the state. It ensures prompt alerts, compliance monitoring, and smooth operations at all levels. This setup is further backed by District Command Centres and Data Analytics Units, allowing proactive identification and management of potential health emergencies by tracking disease trends and patient data in real time.
Meanwhile, a nine-member delegation recently visited Bihar on a three-day tour of the state to understand the scale and impact of this digital leap. During interaction with patients at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Silao in Nalanda district, the patients lauded the convenience and efficiency of the new digital process, describing it as a complete overhaul of the previous cumbersome system.
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