HOSMAC Unveils Urban Health Data Platform to Map India's Cancer Care Gaps & Guide Healthcare Investment
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Future versions of the Urban Health Data Platform will expand beyond cancer care by incorporating additional healthcare datasets, hospital categories and advanced analytical capabilities.
HOSMAC, a Mumbai-based healthcare planning, design, and management consultancy, has launched the Urban Health Data Platform (UHDP), a research-driven digital platform designed to help healthcare stakeholders visualise India's healthcare infrastructure and make more informed planning, policy and investment decisions.
The beta version has initially focused on cancer care, bringing together interactive mapping, accessibility analysis and validated healthcare data in a single platform.
Dr Vivek Desai, Founder and Managing Director, HOSMAC, said, “The Urban Health Data Platform reflects our commitment to democratising healthcare intelligence and empowering stakeholders with meaningful, research-backed insights. India requires data-driven healthcare planning now more than ever. By making validated healthcare information accessible through an interactive platform, we hope to support better investment decisions, stronger healthcare delivery systems, and more equitable access to care.”
Developed through several years of research, data validation and computational modelling, the HOSMAC Urban Health Data Platform has been built to consolidate fragmented healthcare information into an interactive digital environment.
The platform allows users to map hospitals based on ownership and geographic location while analysing healthcare infrastructure through multiple data layers.
According to HOSMAC, the tool has been created to support hospital owners, healthcare administrators, consultants, policymakers, researchers, investors and public health professionals.
The beta version currently maps nearly 700 government, trust-owned and private cancer hospitals across India.
Beyond displaying facility locations, the platform evaluates patient catchment areas using travel distance and road connectivity, helping users understand which regions have adequate access to cancer care and which remain underserved.
It also integrates demographic and socio-economic information, including population distribution, hospital ownership patterns and regional healthcare coverage, enabling more comprehensive planning decisions.
One of the platform's distinguishing capabilities is its infrastructure simulation feature. Users can virtually place a proposed hospital at any location and immediately evaluate how it could influence healthcare accessibility and patient catchment areas.
HOSMAC demonstrated this capability using Maharashtra's Nanded district, where the analysis indicates that establishing a government cancer hospital could improve access for patients who currently travel more than 200 kilometres for treatment while reducing pressure on neighbouring healthcare facilities.
The Urban Health Data Platform also enables comparisons between major metropolitan regions. Early analysis suggests that Kolkata serves one of the country's largest cancer care catchments, reflecting the significant distances many patients travel to access specialised treatment.
Chennai, by comparison, has a relatively compact catchment supported by a more evenly distributed cancer care network. Mumbai and Delhi also benefit from surrounding satellite cities that collectively strengthen regional healthcare accessibility.
HOSMAC said future versions of the Urban Health Data Platform will expand beyond cancer care by incorporating additional healthcare datasets, hospital categories and advanced analytical capabilities.
Planned additions include information on hospital capacity, affordability, medical equipment, treatment costs, demographic trends, government empanelment and care pathways, to develop a comprehensive decision-support platform for India's evolving healthcare ecosystem.
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