National Digital Health Mission Launched - What it Holds

The Indian health sector is set to be revolutionized through the convergence of technology and healthcare in this new concept of National Digital Health Mission. While addressing the nation on the 74th Independence day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced about this mission and its features. This program is a step towards Universal Health Coverage for Indians which is one of the elements of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.8.

There is a lot to this new mission for the citizens primarily because it is based around increasing the accessibility of healthcare in the country. Want to know what the National Digital Health Mission holds for you? Find out with this all-inclusive blog!

National Digital Health Mission: Overview

The National Digital Health Mission or NDHM was proposed to the government by NITI Ayog in 2018. This is essentially a digital healthcare ecosystem where all the health-related data of an individual will be recorded and stored.

This mission aims at providing safe, accessible, and transparent healthcare to every Indian citizen. According to the speech given by the Prime Minister, this mission is going to provide a unique ID to the citizens which will include every bit of detail related to the medical history of the individual, for instance, doctor's appointment, test results, test venue, medication, etc.​

The key elements which will provide the citizens with access to improved healthcare are:

Health ID Card

Health ID card is a unique ID card which will act as a health record account for the ID holders. It will contain all the information related to the cardholder's medical history including details related to diseases, doctors' appointments, medicines prescribed, tests, reports, etc. It is not mandatory but is highly recommended.

Each ID will be linked to a health data consent manager which will seek the patient's consent for allowing the flow of data. It will be created using the person's basic details, phone number, and Aadhaar number. This ID will reportedly be in a digital format available on one's smartphone. ​

This card will be valid across all healthcare facilities across the country. It will also be helpful if you want to buy health insurance online since you can easily share your medical history with your insurer. The data stored in this ID card will only be shared after obtaining authorization from the cardholder. You can also opt for Health Gain Insurance​ here​

DigiDoctor

This key feature will help in digitalizing healthcare for medical centers and doctors. This platform will allow doctors from across the nation to enroll themselves with their basic details and contact number (optional). They can be reached by patients in need and help in providing them with solutions without physical presence.​

This feature will provide the doctors with a free digital signature that can be used for sending online prescriptions to patients. It should also be noted that DigiDoctor is voluntary for healthcare facilities and experts, and free of cost.

Takeaways

This mission is a step towards creating a comfortable environment for Indian citizens where they don't need to worry about their medical history or face a fuss while claiming health insurance​. The mission has launched in the end of August in a few union territories, starting off with Health ID and DigiDoctor. Other elements will be introduced eventually.​

Also Read: ​Choose the Right Health Insurance for Yourself and your Family