PM Modi launches Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, health ID for every citizen
New Delhi: Every Indian will now get a digital health ID, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday as he launched the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. The government — which has maintained that the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will play a key role in the digital health ecosystem, like that of the Unified Payments Interface in revolutionising payments — has underlined that "citizens will now only be a click away from accessing healthcare facilities".
"Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will now help connect digital health solutions across the country. All Indians will now get a digital health ID under this scheme. Every citizen's health record will now be digitally secure," the Prime Minister said, underlining that "digitisation will make healthcare easier".
In his address after the virtual launch, Modi also said health has a very strong relationship with tourism as a good and integrated health infrastructure also improves the tourism sector.
Noting that digital infrastructure is bringing everything from — ration to administration (Ration to Prashaasan) — to the common Indian in a fast and transparent manner, the Prime Minister said: "The way technology is being deployed in governance reforms today is unprecedented."
The mission marks a new phase in efforts of the last seven years of strengthening health facilities, he said and added that its reliable data will lead to better treatment and savings for patients.
"These healthcare solutions are a big investment in the present and future of the country," he added.
The scheme, which will help doctors anywhere find the medical record of a patient with the latter's consent, will help the poor and middle class most, he said.
The pilot project of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission was announced by the Prime Minister from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15, 2020 and was in six Union Territories. Now, it will be rolled out nationwide.
Its nationwide roll-out coincides with the National Health Authority celebrating the third anniversary of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).
The digital mission will now connect the digital health solutions of hospitals across the country, Modi said and noted that there has also been an unprecedented expansion of telemedicine as well.
Meanwhile, India added 26,041 new infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,36,78,786, while the active cases declined to 2,99,620, the lowest in 191 days, according to the Union Health ministry data updated on Monday.
The death toll climbed to 4,47,194 with 276 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The active cases comprise 0.89 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.78 per cent, the ministry said. A decrease of 3,856 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. Less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 92 consecutive days, the ministry said. The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 86 crore on Monday, the ministry added.
More than 88 lakh (88,98,560) vaccine doses have been administered till 7 pm, it said.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has further delayed the Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for Covaxin, the Covid vaccine developed in India, as the global body has sent more technical queries to its manufacturer Bharat Biotech, according to sources. This delay is likely to adversely affect Indians', especially students', international travel plans, reports said.
Without EUA, Covaxin will not be considered an accepted vaccine by most countries around the world. WHO's queries for Bharat Biotech comes despite the Hyderabad-based drug maker asserting that it has submitted all data required for clearance. The indication of a delay comes merely days after the Union Health ministry hinted that the global body was likely to give its nod anytime soon.
