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Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to Open Healthcare Network! This FAQ section addresses common questions and provides solutions to help you get started smoothly.

Project Overview​

What are the main components of the Open Healthcare Network?​

The Open Healthcare Network consists of two core repositories:

What plugins are available?​

PluginBackendFrontend
ABDM (Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission)care_abdmcare_abdm_fe
HCX (Health Claims Exchange)care_hcxcare_hcx_fe
Scribe (Voice Assistant)care_scribecare_scribe_fe
TeleICU Devices (Remote ICU Monitoring Integration)care_teleicu_devicescare_teleicu_devices_fe
LiveKit (Real-time Communication)care_livekitcare_livekit_fe
Ayushma (AI Assistant)ayushmaayushma_fe

Backend Setup​

How do I load initial data for development?​

You can load development and test fixtures in two ways:

  1. Using make:
make load-fixtures
  1. Using Docker directly:
docker compose exec backend bash -c "python manage.py load_fixtures"

How do I load location-specific government organization data?​

To load data for a specific state (e.g., Kerala), use:

docker compose exec backend bash -c "python manage.py load_govt_organization --state kerala --load-districts --load-local-bodies --load-wards"

How do I create a superuser account?​

To create a superuser for accessing the Django admin interface:

docker compose exec backend bash -c "python manage.py createsuperuser"

Follow the prompts to enter username, email, and password.

How do I fix permission and role issues?​

If you encounter access or permission issues, run:

python manage.py sync_permissions_roles

This ensures that user roles are correctly mapped to permissions.

What should I do if the backend container is unhealthy?​

  1. Check the logs for error messages:
docker logs <container_name>
# Example:
docker logs care-backend-1
  1. Open the Django shell for debugging:
docker exec -it <container_name> python manage.py shell
# Example:
docker exec -it care-backend-1 python manage.py shell
  1. Rebuild and restart the services:
make teardown
make up

Frontend Setup​

What Node.js version is required?​

The frontend projects require Node.js 22. Use nvm to install and switch versions:

nvm install 22
nvm use 22

To verify the active Node version:

node -v

Note: Always sync with the latest develop branch before starting frontend work.

How do I resolve dependency installation issues?​

If you see peer dependency warnings or install failures:

  1. Try installing with legacy peer deps:
npm install --legacy-peer-deps
  1. If issues persist:
npm cache clean --force
rm -rf node_modules
npm install

How do I fix API connection issues?​

  1. Ensure the backend server is running
  2. Check your .env file in the frontend project:
REACT_CARE_API_URL=http://127.0.0.1:9000

How do I fix build errors?​

If you encounter TypeScript errors or linting issues:

npm run lint-fix

What should I do if Cypress tests are failing?​

Cypress test failures are often specific to individual PRs and may not indicate a broader issue with your local setup. If you encounter failing Cypress tests:

  1. Check if tests pass locally:

    npm run cypress:run

  2. Run tests in interactive mode for debugging:

    npm run cypress:open

  3. If tests fail consistently, discuss the issue in the Slack community - the community can help identify if it's a known issue or specific to your PR.

Note: Many Cypress failures are flaky tests that pass on retry. If tests fail in CI but pass locally, it's often a timing or environment issue rather than a code problem.

Plugin Setup​

How do I set up a plugin?​

Most plugins follow this pattern in plug_config.py:

plugin_name = Plug(
    name="plugin_name",
    package_name="git+https://github.com/ohcnetwork/plugin_repo.git",
    version="@master",  # or specific version
    configs={},  # plugin-specific settings
)
plugs = [plugin_name]

How do I develop plugins locally?​

  1. Update plug_config.py:
plugin_name = Plug(
    name="plugin_name",
    package_name="/app/plugin_folder",
    version="",
    configs={},
)
  1. In plugs/manager.py, install in editable mode:
subprocess.check_call(
    [sys.executable, "-m", "pip", "install", "-e", *packages]
)
  1. Rebuild and restart the containers:
make re-build
make up

What should I do if a plugin isn't loading?​

For backend plugins:

  • Ensure the plugin name matches the Django app name
  • Verify the path or repository URL is correct
  • Check that all required environment variables are configured

For frontend plugins:

  • Verify you're using the correct Node.js version
  • In care_fe/.env, ensure the plugin is added to REACT_ENABLED_APPS:
REACT_ENABLED_APPS="ohcnetwork/plugin_name_fe@localhost:5173"
  • Make sure the plugin dev server is running on the expected port

Learning Resources​

What learning resources are available?​

  1. Docker and Container Technology

  2. OHC School Courses