Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission: Modi's new mission to modernise healthcare

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the nationwide rollout of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. The mission intends to integrate technology into healthcare to create an accessible platform for citizens, particularly low- and middle-income families.

Some of the key takeaways from the PM’s speech, which focused on financial and physical accessibility are:

1. The mission is primarily centered on creating digital health IDs: a 14-digit unique health identification number that will allow all medical professionals and stakeholders to access the ID holder’s medical records, with their consent.

2. The health account will particularly hold all test details, prescriptions, diagnoses and will be portable and more importantly, easily accessible.

3. The ID is created through the user’s basic details and either their mobile number or Aadhar number. Basic details include demographic, location, contact details, and family/relationship.

4. The health ID is voluntary and free of cost and is expected to allow access to private and public hospitals, clinics, diagnostic laboratories, imaging centres, and pharmacies.

5. A new health policy is being introduced that includes creating modern and large health networks, similar to AIIMS, across the country. It also includes establishing a medical college in every 3 Lok Sabha territories and creating health and wellness centres in proximity to villages.

6. Critical care laws are being introduced in district hospitals and these hospitals are now establishing their own oxygen plants.

THE O: The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will now provide free health IDs to citizens of the country that will allow access to medical records by all medical professionals with the consent of the patient.