The Union Cabinet has approved the nationwide rollout of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) with a budget of Rs 1,600 crore for five years.

The National Health Authority (NHA) will be the implementing agency of the Central Sector Scheme.

Digital health solutions across the health care ecosystem have proven to be of immense benefit over the years, with CoWIN, ArogyaSetu and eSanjeevani further demonstrating the role technology can play in enabling access to health care. However, there is a need to integrate such solutions for continuum of care, and effective utilisation of resources.

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

• In September 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

• It was originally called the National Digital Health Mission and launched on August 15, 2020 as a pilot in six Union Territories.

• Based on the foundations laid down in the form of Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile (JAM) trinity and other digital initiatives of the government, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is creating a seamless online platform through the provision of a wide-range of data, information and infrastructure services, duly leveraging open, interoperable, standards-based digital systems while ensuring the security, confidentiality and privacy of health-related personal information.

• Citizens will only be a click away from accessing health care facilities.

• Under the mission, citizens will get a digital health ID.

• Health is a state subject, but the National Health Mission will work closely with the states on Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

• The digital health ecosystem created by Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission supports continuity of care across primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare in a seamless manner. 

• It aids availability of health care services particularly in remote and rural areas through technology interventions like telemedicine.

Main components of the mission

• A health ID for every citizen that will also work as their health account, to which personal health records can be linked and viewed with the help of a mobile application.

• A Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR) and Healthcare Facilities Registries (HFR) that will act as a repository of all healthcare providers across both modern and traditional systems of medicine. This will ensure ease of doing business for doctors, hospitals and health care service providers.

• A sandbox, created as part of the digital mission will act as a framework for technology and product testing that will help organisations, including private players, intending to be a part of the National Digital Health Ecosystem become a health information provider or a health information user or efficiently link with building blocks of the mission.

• Sandbox in computing terms is a testing environment in a computer system in which new or untested software or coding can be run securely without affecting the application, system or platform on which they are run.

• This mission will also create interoperability within the digital health ecosystem, similar to the role played by the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in revolutionising payments.

Generation of unique digital health IDs

• Health ID is now known as Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA).

• It will be voluntary. In order to issue the ID, the system will collect certain basic details including location. The health ID will be used for purposes of uniquely identifying persons, authenticating them, and threading their health records. 

• ABHA numbers have been created for those beneficiaries enrolled through CoWIN platform who have provided Aadhaar as the ID proof at the vaccination site only after taking their consent through the vaccinator.

• Health records of every citizen will be digitally protected.

• It will improve equitable access to quality health care by encouraging use of technologies such as telemedicine and enabling national portability of health services.

• It will enable access and exchange of longitudinal health records of citizens with their consent.

• The National Health Authority (NHA) is creating awareness among citizens about the use and advantages of health IDs to maximise participation from citizens.

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