(Daily News Scan - DNS English) What is National Health ID?
On the occasion of 74th INDEPENDENCE DAY, the PRIME Minister addressed the nation. While doing so, he made an announcement about the launch of an Aadhar linked National health ID. This health ID will be for every Indian citizen. Here, they can store all the information associated to their health - like medical test report, disease history etc. This announcement by the PM came at a time when the nation is battling with the pandemic Coronavirus.
In today’s edition of our DNS we will look in detail - the National health ID.
Delivering the Independence Day speech the Prime Minister launched The National Digital Health Mission. The National Health ID is part of the campaign National Digital Health Mission. As per the Prime Minister this ‘’National Digital Health Mission will bring a new revolution in the health sector in India.”
The National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), will come under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). This mission will help to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of health services in the country, as said by the government.
The national health ID will be a repository of all health-related information of a person. As per the National Health Authority (NHA), every patient who wishes to have their health records available digitally must create a Health ID.
Each Health ID will be linked to a health data consent manager — such as National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) — which will be used to seek the patient’s consent and allow for seamless flow of health information from the Personal Health Records module.
The Health ID is created by using a person’s general details and mobile number or Aadhaar number. This will make it unique to the person, who will have the option to link all of their health records to this ID.
Every citizen who registers will get AAdhar like Health ID. The scheme will map every citizen’s health with the help of this ID. It will also be integrated with the provision to use telemedicine, e-pharmacy.
Now let us look into the history of this National Health ID and how it came into existence.
The NDHM goes back to The National Health Policy 2017. It had proposed the creation of a digital health technology eco-system. It focused at developing an integrated health information system that serves the needs of all stakeholders and improves efficiency, transparency and citizens’ experience with linkage across public and private healthcare.
In 2018, Niti AYOG, the Central Governments Think tank, put forward a consultation of a digital backbone for India’s health system — National Health Stack. ALL the data regarding the treatment, patient and the doctor consulted will be saved on a cloud based data storage online. Within this the data of the health service provider and the service receiver will be saved.
A Blueprint was released in 2019. This blue print recommended setting up of the NDHM, a government run organisation with complete functional autonomy on the lines of UIDAI and Goods and Services Network. The blueprint also suggests two building blocks—Personal Health Identifier (PHI), and Health Master Directories & Registries—for handling the requirements of unique identification of persons, facilities, diseases and devices.
As foretold, various healthcare providers like as hospitals, laboratories, insurance companies, online pharmacies, telemedicine firms are expected to participate in the health ID system. The strategy overview document points out that while option of digital Health ID will be there, in case a person does not want Health ID, then also treatment should be allowed. It is voluntary process, not a compulsory one.
In its first phase now, the mission will be tried out in
Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu,
Lakshadweep, Ladakh and Puducherry.
