New Delhi, Sept 27
Decks were cleared on Monday for the generation of digital health IDs of Indians, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission which entails maintenance of patient records in digital format for easy access by doctors, apart from bringing all health stakeholders on a single platform for citizens to choose from.
Terming the Mission’s launch as “an unprecedented phase of health reforms in India”, the PM said the mission has the potential to revolutionise healthcare delivery in India with greater benefits for the poor and middle classes.
“The Digital Mission will improve the ease of living and make access of hospitals easy. Currently, digital solution of one hospital is restricted to that hospital only. Patients have to repeat their registrations and tests every time they seek fresh consultation with a different hospital. He has to move around with old files. This wastes time of patients and doctors, and leads to woes and increased expenditure.
People often lose their medical records. Absence of medical history often leads to waste of time, contradictory treatments and troubles. The mission solves all of this,” the PM said, noting that the launch was part of the ongoing seven-year exercise to ease healthcare delivery for Indians.
The mission, PM said, will specially help villagers, and will provide all the important information on doctors and their availability across India.
“The mission will link digital health solutions of all hospitals and give citizens a digital health ID. Every citizen’s health record will be digitallly protected. Patients and doctors can check previous records when they want. Doctors, nurses and paramedics will also be registered on the digital platform so also labs and pharmacies. The mission will bring all health stakeholders on one platform,” the PM said.
The mission was successfully tested through a yearlong pilot in six UTs, including Chandigarh.
The PM said with the digital health mission the patient can access services of a doctor who knows his language and has the specialty to treat his condition.
“Labs and pharmacy identification will also become easy. The treatment and healthcare policy system will become more effective with this Mission since doctors and hospitals can use it for remote counselling. This will improve treatment and save money,” the PM said, adding that the government was working to change the old approach to health by promoting a new model of preventive care and affordable and accessible healthcare.
Listing other initiatives, the Prime Minister said work was under way to set up one medical college after every three Lok Sabha seats and 80,000 primary health centres were operational near homes to detect serious diseases in time.
“Medical infrastructure construction is being enhanced. Critical care blocks are being created in districts hospitals along with paediatric care facilities. Oxygen plants at district hospital level are coming up. Medical education reforms are also constantly underway,” said the PM, noting that today
more doctors and paramedical manpower is graduating in India.
Launching the digital mission on World Tourism Day, the PM said India was ensuring that ease of hospital care and hospitality move hand in hand.
Earlier in his address, the PM said digital solutions were now available across sectors in the country on Aadhar, Jan Dhan, UPI, Internet and mobile platforms, and India’s COWIN was helping people with digital delivery of vaccines during Covid Times.
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