New Delhi: India is steadily moving toward a digitally empowered healthcare ecosystem, with initiatives aimed at helping clinicians and medical students access knowledge more efficiently while saving costs.
In an exclusive conversation with ETHealthworld, Dr. B. Srinivas, Deputy Director General (Medical Education), Former Secretary, National Medical Commission, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare highlighted the government’s efforts to leverage technology for medical education and clinical care.
“One major initiative is the National Medical Library’s Electronic Resources in Medicine (NML-ERMED), through which the government procures content from multiple publishers. Earlier, journals were purchased and transmitted to around 70 government medical colleges across the country; the budget is from the Union Health Ministry at discounted rates. After the rollout of the ONOS (One Nation One Subscription) platform by the Ministry of Education, which provides free content, the government shifted focus to databases and e-books.”
Currently, platforms like Elsevier are being provided to 20 medical institutions, while other e-book platforms serve around 50 medical institutions. In total, 1,500 e-books are now accessible to approximately 65 medical colleges across the country.
E-Medical Textbooks Slash Costs, Expand Access for Thousands of Students
Explaining the impact of such e-medical books, Dr Srinivas said, “For undergraduate students, each college has roughly 1,000 students, and resident doctors are also using these resources. In total, 10,000–20,000 students and doctors are benefiting.”
The initiative offers tangible financial benefits. Expensive medical textbooks, like Harrison’s Internal Medicine costing over Rs 18,000, were previously restricted to one student per copy. Now, multiple students can access, download, and content digitally, which is continuously updated. This not only ensures equitable access but also saves thousands and even lakhs of rupees for students.
Dr Srinivas added that the demand is high, with around 200 medical colleges on the waiting list, we are not able to give it right now as the current budget allocation is of Rs 20 crores from Union Health Ministry and it limits coverage to 70 institutions. Plans are underway for private colleges and state governments to contribute, taking advantage of bulk procurement, which reduces costs significantly — the same books costing Rs 30 lakh individually can be acquired for Rs 7 lakh through bulk purchase.
Bridging Medical College Gaps with Training and Tech
Speaking about bridging gaps in faculty for newly expanded medical colleges, Dr. Srinivas said, “Teaching is an art. Many doctors in district colleges have clinical expertise but lack teaching experience. We are establishing medical education hubs to train future teachers. Over 4 to 5 years, this will ensure enough faculty to support all colleges,” he said.
On digital tools for clinicians, Dr. Srinivas emphasised the importance of point-of-care resources. These tools provide updated guidelines, drug protocols, and clinical information without overwhelming doctors. With initiatives like connecting 3,000 CGHS doctors to digital platforms, real-time data on patient demographics, disease patterns, and healthcare outcomes can be collected. This data is used for policy planning, predictive health management, and improving insurance and government schemes.
On examinations like NEET, Dr. Srinivas noted improvements by the National Testing Agency, with measures taken to prevent paper leaks. While PG exams have historically been secure, future electronic formats could further reduce irregularities.
Dr. Srinivas concluded that digital platforms, e-books, telemedicine, and AI tools together are transforming medical education and healthcare delivery in India, empowering clinicians, benefiting patients, and reducing financial burdens on students, while enabling the government to plan and implement health policies more effectively.
