Union Health Minister J P Nadda has launched the National Health Resource Repository (NHRR), the country's first-ever national healthcare registry of authentic, standardised and updated geo-spatial data of all public and private healthcare establishments.

The vision of National Health Resource Repository project is to strengthen evidence-based decision making and develop a platform for citizen and provider-centric services by creating a robust, standardised and secured IT-enabled repository of India's healthcare resources, Nadda said.

The Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI) has actively engaged with key stakeholders including leading associations, allied ministries, and several private healthcare service providers to frame the facility.

"This resource repository shall enable advanced research towards ongoing and forthcoming healthcare challenges arising from other determinants of health like - disease, environment etc," Nadda said.

Approximately 4,000 trained professionals are working to approach every healthcare establishment for information collection. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is the project technology partner adhering to paramount data security.

Under the Collection of Statistics Act 2008, over 20 lakh hospitals, clinics, diagnostic labs, pharmacies and nursing homes would be enumerated under this census capturing data on over 1,400 variables.

"Additionally, it shall generate real-world intelligence to identify gaps in health and service ratios, and ensure judicious health resource allocation and management. It shall identify key areas of improvement by upgrading existing health facilities or establishing new health facilities keeping in view the population density, geographic nature, health condition, distance, etc," Nadda said.

Nadda also released the National Health Profile (NHP)2018, prepared by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI), here today.

The National Health Profile covers demographic, socio-economic, health status and health finance indicators, along with comprehensive information on health infrastructure and human resources in health.

Nadda stated that the health profile is a very important tool as it has helped in designing various programmes.