Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Digital Health Mission today while addressing the nation from ramparts of Delhi's iconic Red Fort on the occasion of India's 74th Independence Day.
Asserting that the "completely technology-based" National Digital Health Mission initiative would revolutionize the health sector, the Prime Minister informed that every Indian would get an ID card that would contain all pertinent information about their medical conditions. He said this card could be used to access health services and medicines.
The Prime Minister said, "From today a new campaign is going to start in the country. It is the National Digital Health Mission, which will bring a new revolution in the health sector in India."
"Every Indian will get a Health ID card. Every time you visit a doctor or a pharmacy, everything will be logged in this card. From the doctor's appointment to the medication, everything will be available in your health profile," he added.
The National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), which comes under the purview of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), is expected to advance the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of health services in the country.
Under this scheme, each patient will be given an ID card on which confidential medical data, such as prescriptions, diagnostic reports, and discharge summaries, will be stored.
Patients will give their doctors, or health providers, one-time access to this data during visits to the hospital or for consultation. Over fears about data confidentiality, the government said access to medical data will have to be given separately for each visit and that doctors could only access it for a limited time.
The NDHM will also allow patients to access health services remotely - through teleconsultation and e-pharmacies, as well as offer other health-related benefits.
The focus on telemedicine and offering health services digitally comes at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has infected nearly 25 lakh people, of whom over 48,000 have died. Over 65,000 new cases were recorded over the past 24 hours, according to the numbers released by the government this morning.
Hygiene protocols are in place to minimize the spread of the highly infectious COVID-19 virus such as maintaining at least six-feet from each other, and wearing face masks while being in public places.