Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Envisions Platform to Test Community-Centred Solutions
Mumbai, October 7: A statewide ‘Living Lab’ is being developed to promote health innovation and improve the quality of healthcare services in Maharashtra, supporting the state’s goal of ‘Health for All.’ The initiative, envisioned by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, will focus on improving the quality of healthcare facilities and compliance with quality standards while also creating opportunities for skill development and employment for citizens across the state.
The Living Lab will serve as a platform to identify local health priorities, develop solutions in collaboration with communities and test new approaches within real-world healthcare settings. Through the initiative, the government, healthcare providers, private sector, academic institutions, innovators and development partners will bring together their expertise and capabilities on a common platform to strengthen the existing healthcare system and treatment pathways.
The initiative will also harness the potential of emerging technologies and innovations, including artificial intelligence, digital health, data-driven solutions and precision health, to improve healthcare delivery.
One of the key opportunities under the initiative is to align the reach and capabilities of the private healthcare sector with public health priorities. With the participation of various stakeholders, practical, affordable and accessible solutions addressing local needs can be developed and tested. Successful interventions will also be assessed for their potential to be scaled up across Maharashtra and in other regions.
In subsequent phases, the Living Lab will explore opportunities for local skill development, employment and enterprise creation linked to the healthcare needs of communities.
Rather than focusing solely on the adoption of new technologies, the initiative places emphasis on ensuring that innovation reaches every citizen, including people in remote and underserved areas. Through collaboration among the government, communities, innovators and partners, the initiative will facilitate the testing of effective solutions, rapid analysis of the resulting evidence and wider adoption of interventions that can improve the quality and equity of healthcare.
The Living Lab is being developed as a platform for evidence generation and collaboration, with community needs and local ownership at the centre of the process. It will seek to strengthen coordination between innovators, the healthcare system and frontline service providers.
The ‘Manyata’ initiative of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) is an early example of this approach. Supporting the government’s efforts to strengthen maternal healthcare, the initiative demonstrates how a quality-improvement model from the private sector can work in partnership with the public healthcare system.
The initiative is being coordinated by MSD for Mothers, which is bringing together a group of partners to develop this collaborative model. Partnerships will be leveraged to transform innovations into practical and sustainable solutions, thereby strengthening the healthcare system and improving outcomes for communities.
