TOPIC: GS 2 Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
A place for disruptive technology in India’s health sector
What is the news?
- As frontline warriors fighting COVID19, the medical community has been selfless, but also losing a number of staff in the process.
- It is in such a situation that the relevance of disruptive technology and its applications comes into focus, potentially helping to reduce the chances of hospital staff contracting the infection.
Innovation in Health Sector
- There are reports in the global media of established innovative field hospitals using robots to care for COVID19 affected patients.
- Hospitals in China, that use 5Gpowered temperature measurement devices at the entrance to flag patients who have fever/feverlike symptoms.
- Robots measure heart rates and blood oxygen levels through smart bracelets and rings that patients wear and even sanitise wards.
- Last year, in India, government hospital in Jaipur held trials with a humanoid robot to deliver medicines and food to COVID19 patients admitted there.
- The critical aspect is new technologies can improve the welfare of societies and reduce the impact of communicable diseases,
- It also aims at spotlighting the importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, block chain, cloud and quantum computing, data analytics, 5G.
Blockchain Technology
- Blockchain technology can help in addressing the interoperability challenges that health information and technology systems face.
- The health block chain would contain a complete indexed history of all medical data, including formal medical records and health data from mobile applications and wearable sensors.
- It can also be stored in a secure network and authenticated, besides helping in seamless medical attention.
Big data analytics
- It can help improve patient based services tremendously such as early disease detection.
- AI and the Internet of Medical Things which is defined as a connected infrastructure of medical devices, software applications, and health systems and services are shaping healthcare applications.
Medical Autonomous System
- It can also improve health delivery to a great extent and their applications are focused on supporting medical care delivery in disperse and complex environments with the help of futuristic technologies.
- This system may also include autonomous critical care system, autonomous intubation, autonomous cricothyrotomy and other autonomous interventional procedures.
Cloud Computing
- It is another application facilitating collaboration and data exchanges between doctors, departments, and even institutions and medical providers to enable best treatment.
Furthering Universal Health Care
- It achieved through the application of digital technologies, led by a robust strategy integrating human, financial, organizational and technological resources.
- Online consultation through video conferencing should be a key part of such a strategy, especially in times when there is transmission of communicable diseases.
Using local knowledge
- Community nurses, doctors, and health workers in developing countries do act as frontline sentinels.
- An example is the Ebola virus outbreak in Africa, where communities proactively helped curtail the spread much before government health teams arrived.
Possible Constraints
- In this effort constraints are a standardisation of health data, organisational silos, data security and data privacy, and also high investments. However, there is no doubt that disruptive technology can play an important role in improving the health sector in general.
Way Forward
- Big data applications in the health sector should help hospitals provide the best facilities and at less cost, provide a level playing field for all sectors, and foster competition.
Mains question
Artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and data analytics have a defining role to play in shaping the medical sector. Explain
PRELIMS PUNCHERS
- Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas released
Combating desertification and land degradation is one of the thrust areas identified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India, New Delhi. Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO, Ahmedabad along with 19 concerned partner institutes has carried out an inventory and monitoring of desertification of the entire country using Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS) data in Geographical Information System (GIS) environment.
This Atlas presents state-wise desertification and land degradation status maps depicting land use, process of degradation and severity level. This was prepared using IRS Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) data of time frames in GIS environment. Area under desertification / land degradation for the both time frames and changes are reported state-wise as well as for the entire country. The outputs are helpful in prioritizing areas to be taken up for minimizing the impact of desertification and land degradation.
Sources : https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1727987
- iDEX
iDEX aims at creation of an ecosystem to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace by engaging Industries including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes & academia. It provide them grants/funding and other support to carry out R&D which has good potential for future adoption for Indian defence and aerospace needs.
iDEX will be funded and managed by a ‘Defence Innovation Organization (DIO)’ which has been formed as a ‘not for profit’ company as per the Companies Act 2013 for this purpose. It will by the two founder members i.e. Defence Public Sector Undertakings – HAL & BEL. iDEX will function as the executive arm of DIO, carrying out all the required activities while DIO will provide high level policy guidance to iDEX.
- The race against time for smarter development Report
UNESCO Science Report was published which is entitled as “race against time for smarter development”. USR is a flagship publication of UNESCO which is published once every five years. It is a report on science, technology and innovation . Every edition comprises of a chapter on India.
The latest edition of its Science Report, which is published every five years, further reveals that there is still a long way to go before science fully contributes to the goal of achieving a more sustainable future for all people and the planet. During the period from 2014 to 2018, spending on science worldwide increased by nearly 20 per cent, and the number of scientists rose some 13.7 per cent, a trend that was further boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the report.
Sources : http://www.unesco.org/reports/science/2021/en
- Eighth Schedule
The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India lists the official languages of the Republic of India. At the time when the Constitution was enacted, inclusion in this list meant that the language was entitled to representation on the Official Languages Commission, and that the language would be one of the bases that would be drawn upon to enrich Hindi and English, the official languages of the Union. The list has since, however, acquired further significance. The Government of India is now under an obligation to take measures for the development of these languages, such that “they grow rapidly in richness and become effective means of communicating modern knowledge.” In addition, a candidate appearing in an examination conducted for public service is entitled to use any of these languages as the medium in which he or she answers the paper
As per Articles 344 and 351 of the Indian Constitution, the eighth schedule includes the recognition of the following 22 languages.
PRELIMS QUESTION
- Consider the following statement with reference to IDEX
- iDEX will be funded and managed by a Defence acquisition council
- It has been formed as a ‘not for profit’ company as per the Companies Act 1956 for this purpose
Select the correct statement using code given below.
(a). 1only (b) 2 only
(c). Both of them (d). None of the above
Answer : D
iDEX aims at creation of an ecosystem to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace by engaging Industries including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes & academia. It provide them grants/funding and other support to carry out R&D which has good potential for future adoption for Indian defence and aerospace needs.
iDEX will be funded and managed by a ‘Defence Innovation Organization (DIO)’ which has been formed as a ‘not for profit’ company as per the Companies Act 2013 for this purpose. It will by the two founder members i.e. Defence Public Sector Undertakings – HAL & BEL. iDEX will function as the executive arm of DIO, carrying out all the required activities while DIO will provide high level policy guidance to iDEX.
- The race against time for smarter development Report is published by
- UNDP
- World Economic Forum
- UNESCO
- World Bank
Answer : C
UNESCO Science Report was published which is entitled as “race against time for smarter development”. USR is a flagship publication of UNESCO which is published once every five years. It is a report on science, technology and innovation . Every edition comprises of a chapter on India.
The latest edition of its Science Report, which is published every five years, further reveals that there is still a long way to go before science fully contributes to the goal of achieving a more sustainable future for all people and the planet. During the period from 2014 to 2018, spending on science worldwide increased by nearly 20 per cent, and the number of scientists rose some 13.7 per cent, a trend that was further boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the report.