Transforming India’s healthcare ecosystem soon became a must after the COVID-19 pandemic hit and brought with it all the devastating consequences. It pointed toward the glaring gap between the healthcare sector and access to medical care. Since the global scenario regarding medical facilities has evolved and shifted toward a digital paradigm, India, too, revolutionized its journey and went digital. Poor quality healthcare was one of the major reasons for fatalities and untimely deaths in the country. Many stakeholders in the healthcare sector decided to look for effective solutions that would help bridge this gap.
Not only this, but people are also increasingly spending more money on healthcare-related aspects as compared to others. The annual increase in amount that people spend on healthcare in India increases at an average rate of 6.91%. This data also reveals that much of the population requires medical attention. Hospital visits, tests, imaging, etc., have increased in recent years – and the pace to keep up with this aspect would only be achieved with the help of creating India’s digital ecosystem.
The ABDM mission –
To succeed in digitising medical facilities and healthcare, one vital aspect would be to provide equal healthcare for all. It means that each person in India should be given access to the services that would be provided and launched by the government. One of these was the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. Launched by the GoI, this mission aimed to develop core modules in the country that would provide seamless access to professionals across the country.
A way to reach closer to this goal would be with the help of sharing data online across different healthcare systems. It was launched in September 2021. The infrastructure aimed to provide would be with the help of a wide range of data, information, and other services keeping in mind the utmost security, confidentiality, and privacy of the people who choose to register.
The ABHA card –
The Abha health card can be generated via self-registration online. It is a unique 14-digit number that is assigned to individuals who choose to register on the platform. This number and card will help people access, record, and share their personal health records with relevant people like doctors, insurance agencies, and healthcare providers. ABHA is in its initial phase, and the developers have taken the responsibility to constantly upgrade this portal and provide people with the best facilities that they can hope to achieve. As of now, this card will allow you to share and record your documents. Slowly, it also aims to provide you with a portal that will help you book hospital appointments.
Benefits of the ABHA card –
This card was created with careful consideration. It ensured that the ABHA was equal in giving each citizen of India what they deserved in terms of proper healthcare facilities. Here are some of the benefits of the ABHA card:
- Universal health coverage – This was conducted PAN India, and it gave seamless access to the medical network to whoever needed it across the country.
- Easy access to medical information – This digital platform will allow you to store and access all your medical records, from history to all kinds of diagnoses to any other paperwork.
- Easy sign-up – The process of signing up on this app is not difficult. Since it is online, you can do so within the comfort of your home using the various processes that the government has made available for you.
- Secure – This highly secure platform provides people with an encrypted medium to store their information. Backed by the government, the guarantee that the platform will be tamper-free and unadulterated provides a huge sense of comfort to people
- Consent-driven access – No one will be able to access information fed by other people. This is done as each person will be given a unique 14-digit ID that they will have to share for anyone to be able to access their records.
Digitisaion of medical records saw a revolutionary change with the launch of the ABHA card and network across the country.
