Dr. Maheshwara Rao APPANNAN currently serves as the Director of the Digital Health Division at the Ministry of Health Malaysia. With a career spanning over 17 years, Dr. Appannan has made significant contributions to healthcare through his expertise in public health, infectious disease modeling, and digital health innovation. As one of the pioneer in the field of digital health, Dr. Appannan has significantly contributed to Malaysia's healthcare landscape through his visionary leadership and innovative solutions.
Dr. Appannan's academic journey is marked by prestigious qualifications, including a Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) and a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Malaya. He also holds a certification in Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) from the CDC in Atlanta and has completed the Leadership in Medicine (LIM-SEA) program at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Appannan's commitment to advancing digital health is further exemplified by his swift implementation of a cloud-based clinic management model in 50 health clinics across Malaysia within just eight weeks. This achievement has enabled Ministry of Health to further receive more funding for digitalization using the deployment model and accelerate digitalisation in all MOH facilities. The strive and momentum to champion digitalization in healthcare was continued by innovating digitalizing manual healthcare processes such as organ donation pledge, primary healthcare appointment scheduling, disease care plans, screening programs and many others. His efforts have streamlined healthcare services, improving efficiency and patient care.
In 2024, Dr. Appannan achieved another milestone by successfully implementing the International Patient Summary (IPS), enhancing the interoperability and continuity of care for patients across borders. He is also a staunch advocate for the '1 Citizen 1 Record' initiative, aiming to provide every Malaysian with a unified health record, thus advancing the nation's healthcare through digital transformation.
