By Hareesh P
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday inaugurated the State鈥檚 first-ever Digital Nerve Centre set up in Kuppam, the constituency he represents in the Legislative Assembly.
The TATA MD Digi Nerve Centre, set up in collaboration with the Gates Foundation, will digitise personal medical records, and its services will be available across 13 Primary Health Centers (PHCs) in Kuppam. It will connect the Area Hospital with the 13 PHCs and 92 Village Health Centers.
Inaugurating the facility, Mr. Naidu said it would set a benchmark and be a gamechanger in the health sector.
Through continuous health monitoring, the Digi Nerve Center would offer timely diagnosis, appointments with medical specialists, personal counselling, and other health services, he said.
Mr. Naidu interacted with the health officers of the PHCs and also gave suggestions to the senior officials of the Medical and Health Department on strengthening the health services.
鈥淚n the first phase, services are being launched in Kuppam. In the second phase, they will be expanded to entire Chittoor district, and in the third phase, the government plans to extend the services State-wide,鈥 Mr Naidu said.
The Chief Minister also said that the government was planning to not only provide better healthcare facilities but also digitise the health history of the people. Mr. Naidu said the government was spending 鈧19,000 crore on the medical and health sector, and the expenditure could be brought down drastically by introducing technology. He asked officials to look into aspects of preventive health, real-time monitoring, and cost-effective variables to monitor the health of pregnant women regularly.
Virtual consulations
The Digital Nerve Centre would enable virtual consultations, allowing patients to access expert medical care remotely. Integration with the NTR Health Scheme and private hospitals would also be facilitated. 鈥淭he Digi Nerve Center will ensure diagnosis, healthcare services, screening tests, and follow-up care, and it serves as a centralised hub for all public health-related information,鈥 he said.
Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav was among others who were present.
An MoU to set up the centre had been signed between the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Tata MD on April 30, 2025, and infrastructure was in place by May 15. The facility was tested for its readiness on June 3.
The DiNC digitally connects all the PHCs, CHCs, and hospitals under one platform; enables early diagnosis, continuous care, and specialist coordination; empowers ASHA workers, ANMs, and PHC staff through real-time tools; and improves care quality for maternal health, NCDs, and geriatrics.
A toll-free number, 155337, is available for any health-related queries, services, or support.