ITI Limited India’s telecom products manufacturing arm, and Thalamus Irwine, a local startup have come together to develop a technology for storing medical data on blockchain, and conducted a Proof of Concept (PoC) with as many as 300 patients on Thursday.
The blockchain technology-based solution by the two companies would also enable the Centre’s ambitious One Nation One Health Card initiative, in line with the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) to develop the backbone to support the integrated digital health infrastructure nationwide.
“India is one of the few countries to start a blockchain-based health data record system where a better care would be provided to those who need medical attention,: Rishabh Sharma, chief executive of Thalamus Irwine said, adding that with ITI partnership, they would be able to store medical data on blockchain network.
The facility to test people for Covid-19 and other diseases would not require a traditional healthcare laboratory infrastructure, and offer blockchain-as-a-service with instant analysis using the ITI data centre in Bengaluru.
“One Nation One Health Card offers a level-playing field and consistency in health records would help to check future pandemics within a matter of minutes through a real-time scenario with distributed ledger technology (DLT),: Sharma said.
The blockchain system, called Garuda Blockchain Platform, according to the company would compile nationwide data within seconds, and boost the rollout of the national health program with a foolproof or tamperless technology.
Both ITI and Thalamus would also conduct the next PoC at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, and would jointly pitch for the prestigious One Nation One Health Card initiative once launched commercially.
Both firms are working closely to develop an ecosystem keeping in mind the needs of rural and remote regions with battery-powered devices. The company has roped in South Korean Boditech Med to provide testing devices.
“We are preparing for the future, and have a three-tiered security. This will enable ITI to issue health cards and store data,” RM Agarwal, chairman, ITI said, and added that the state-run company has partnered with innovative technology partners for the initiative.
Agarwal said that they have taken a step ahead in blockchain technology which is highly secure.
“It helps build a robust healthcare system with Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based testing,” the top official said, and added that ITI has become the first public-sector firm to data available using blockchain technology.
This indigenously developed blockchain technology, according to him, would make India one of the very few countries which have successfully demonstrated its ability to use blockchain in a healthcare ecosystem.
The two companies demonstrated the blockchain in a live testing scenario at Vidya Ankur Basti Vikas Kendra in New Delhi together with Star Imaging & Path Lab.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by TTE staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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