E-SeHAT Pilot Project Launched to Enhance Tele-Consultation Services at 12 ECHS Polyclinics

E-SeHAT aims to facilitate tele-consultations for medical treatment, allowing ECHS beneficiaries to receive care without visiting the polyclinics in person.

On July 30, 2024, the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare introduced a pilot project for the Electronic Services e-Health Assistance and Tele-consultation (E-SeHAT) service at 12 ECHS Polyclinics across India. This pilot includes seven locations in Delhi NCR—Shakurbasti, Timarpur, Faridabad, Palwal, Khanpur, East Delhi, and Hindon—and five remote areas: Baramulla, Imphal, Churachandpur, Dimapur, and Aizawl. The full nationwide rollout of E-SeHAT is scheduled for November 2024.

E-SeHAT aims to facilitate tele-consultations for medical treatment, allowing ECHS beneficiaries to receive care without visiting the polyclinics in person. Dr. Niten Chandra, Secretary of the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, highlighted that the SeHAT-OPD for Tri-services Teleconsultation Service, developed by C-DAC Mohali, had been successfully deployed at various locations. However, to ensure smooth integration with the ECHS database, additional features like e-Prescription were developed. The software now includes modules for medical records and e-Prescriptions, fully synchronized with the ECHS database.

In preparation for the E-SeHAT rollout, IT hardware and equipment have been distributed to all 427 ECHS Polyclinics across the country. Staff have been trained to provide online medical consultations. Future phases of the project will include pre-consultation checks of vitals and home delivery of medicines. Additionally, referral services by medical officers are set to begin by August 20, 2024.

E-SeHAT is designed to provide secure, structured video-based clinical consultations in accordance with the Tele-medicine practice guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in March 2020. This initiative is expected to transform healthcare delivery for veterans, offering timely, quality medical care from the comfort of their homes and aligning with the government's Digital India vision by enhancing digital inclusivity and efficiency in public service access.