The Indian government has recently unveiled ‘AarogyaPath’, a real-time information platform that offers data on the availability of critical healthcare supplies. This initiative is carried out by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) as part of their National Healthcare Supply Chain Portal. This platform is designed to bridge the gap between manufacturers, suppliers and customers which would help during crises like a pandemic.
Understanding AarogyaPath
AarogyaPath is an all-encompassing public platform that provides a single-point access to vital healthcare goods such as medical equipment, drugs, and apparel. The objective of this platform is to establish a national-level database for management and forecasting of demand and supply scenarios for key healthcare needs items.
The platform is expected to become a preferred choice for national healthcare information in the future. It aims to fill a crucial gap in patient care within India by ensuring improved availability and affordability of healthcare supplies.
Who Stands to Benefit?
The primary beneficiaries of AarogyaPath are hospitals, pathology laboratories, research institutes, medical colleges and individual patients. The platform also presents opportunities for business expansion thanks to an expanded network of buyers and the visibility of new requirements for products.
AarogyaPath and Pandemics
In situations like the Covid-19 pandemic, AarogyaPath can play a critical role in addressing anticipated shortages at a national level. It can check opportunistic pricing, hoarding and over-forecasting. Additionally, it can prevent over-production, thereby helping reduce wastage of resources.
About Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
The CSIR was established by the Government of India in September 1942 as an autonomous body. Falling under the Ministry of Science & Technology, CSIR is known for its cutting-edge research and development knowledge base in diverse science and technology areas. It has attained the first rank in the Nature Ranking Index-2020, indicating its high-quality research output and collaboration at the institutional, national and regional level.
Source: PIB
