Jharkhand has come up with an ambitious digital healthcare system. It is meant to be equipped with AI technology to reach the poor, rural, marginalised, and needy sections of society. 

No joke, this. Already, the state government has launched a scheme- the Chief Minister Digital Health Scheme. The scheme, with a five-year budget allocation spanning 2025–26 to 2029–30, aims to overhaul public health infrastructure. Initial rollouts included QR-coded reports, online records, and digital payment systems.

Already, the scheme comprises a 10-bed Tele-ICU, a Human Resource Information System (HRIS), and the Jharkhand e-Health Portal. 

The state has announced plans to digitize all 24 Sadar (district) hospitals, partnering with technical consultants to integrate real-time tracking for doctors, patients, and medicines under the broader Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) framework.

*Hospital Management Information System (HMIS): Enables citizens to handle registration, digital payments, and doctor appointments online.

*Tele-ICU & Telemedicine: Connects remote and district facilities (such as Latehar, Gumla, Khunti, and Chatra) with specialists at RIMS for critical care.

*Infrastructure & Monitoring: Equips health facilities with high-speed Wi-Fi, biometric scanners, and CCTV-based operational oversight.

*Advanced Tech Integration: Explores AI-driven diagnostics and future rollouts of robotic surgery capabilities in government hospitals.

*Efforts are underway to introduce robotic surgery in Jharkhand, with the process advancing through expert advice and technical collaboration. 

With Artificial Intelligence (AI) included as a key focus area in healthcare services, work is also learnt to be progressing on developing a system that enables citizens to share information about health issues digitally and receive necessary guidance,” said Principal Secretary Health, A.K. Singh.

He further said high-speed connectivity has been provided in the state’s health centres and hospitals, and work has been initiated to connect all district and sub-divisional hospitals with Wi-Fi.

A series of issues, including robotic surgery, tele-ICU, telemedicine, tele-radiology, artificial intelligence, digital health records, paperless hospitals and specialist medical consultations in remote areas, were planned to be addressed for speedy health care.

As per the plan,Chief Minister Digital Health Scheme (CMDHS) was launched in 2025 at a cost of around Rs 300 crore. 

The entire scheme is rooted in the project initiated and thereby credited to R.S.Sharma, a retired Indian bureaucrat and former civil servant who is currently a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology,Kanpur.

The same scheme being implemented under the high profile banner of CMDHS, appears to be primarily based on four key components: connectivity, hospital management information system, CCTV-based monitoring and digital dashboard.

The Health Management Information System has already been implemented in state hospitals. Through this system, patients can be facilitated to access services such as registration, payment, and booking doctor appointments from their homes. A mechanism is also being developed to make test reports available to patients digitally,” Singh said.

He added that digital health records will be created for patients, securely storing their medical history.

“In the future, these records could be used for AI-based health assistance. The AI will only provide assistance and suggestions regarding potential health issues, but the patient’s prescription will be written by a doctor,” Singh said.

However, the success of this Digital Health Care Scheme rests not only on the availability of adequate fund, but on promotion and maintenance by meritorious, honest and sincere professionals, a feature the state government's institutions badly lack across the state.