SMART Hospital Programme

Tea garden hospitals serve as vital medical lifelines for estate workers and neighboring rural settlements. To elevate primary healthcare delivery, the APPL Foundation partnered with the WISH Foundation, with support from USAID, to implement the SMART Hospital and Smart Clinic initiative, converting traditional tea garden health centers into technology-equipped Health and Wellness Centres.

Inaugurated at Hathikuli Tea Estate in the presence of officials from USAID, the project introduced a mobile-health platform featuring a three-tablet digital workflow and point-of-care AINA diagnostic testing devices across estates including Hathikuli and Lattakujaan. The system equips on-site healthcare workers and laboratory technicians with digital tools to capture patient vitals, maintain electronic health records, and deliver rapid diagnostic testing directly within the gardens.

The programme has transformed six tea garden hospitals into digitally equipped smart clinics, benefiting more than 15,000 individuals through digital registrations and consultations. In addition to conducting over 3,000 point-of-care laboratory tests and training more than 200 frontline healthcare workers, the initiative significantly reduced out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for local families by over ₹4,00,000 while connecting patients to RHRC for advanced secondary care.