Digital Health Mission

Subject: Government Schemes

Context:

National Digital Health Mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2020 while addressing the nation from the Red Fort to mark the occasion of India’s 74th Independence Day.

Concept:

• Under National Digital Health Mission, every Indian will get a Health ID card that will store all medical details of the person including prescriptions, treatment, diagnostic reports and discharge summaries.
• The citizens will be able to give their doctors and health providers one-time access to this data during visits to the hospital for consultation. However, access to the confidential medical data will have to be given separately for each visit due to fears over data confidentiality.
• The National Digital Health Mission will allow patients to access health services remotely through tele-consultation and e-pharmacies, as well as offer other health-related benefits
• It comes under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana (AB PM-JAY) and implemented by National Health Authority.
• The National Health Policy 2017 had envisaged creation of a digital health technology eco-system aiming 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 the context of this, central government’s think-tank NitiAayog, in June 2018, floated a consultation of a digital backbone for India’s health system — National Health Stack.