JOIN USCentre to roll out unified health interface under NDHM
Centre will soon roll out a Unified Health Interface (UHI), an open and interoperable IT network for digital health that shall enable public and private solutions and apps to plug in and be a part of the National Digital Health Ecosystem.
It will allow users to search, book and avail necessary healthcare services such as tele-consultations or laboratory tests. The system will ensure that only verified healthcare providers join the ecosystem.
The plan, envisaged under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), was discussed at length at a high-level review meeting chaired by him on Thursday.
The meeting happened at a time when the nation's health infrastructure was found woefully inadequate to meet the Covid-19 pressure and tele-consultation was lapped in a big way in cities as hospitals remained crammed.
The scheme, which was announced by Modi in his Independence Day address last year was later launched as a pilot scheme in the Union Territories of Chandigarh, Ladakh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
NDHM were rolled out in these six UTs initially. The expansion of the same will be taken up after evaluation of the outcome during Phase one of the project.
So far, nearly 11.9 lakh Health IDs have been generated and 3,106 doctors and 1,490 facilities have registered on the platform. Under the NDHM scheme, the expenditure for implementation of NDHM in six UTs, borne by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and expenditure till March 15, is Rs 11.82 crore.
The NDHM, aims to develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country. It is expected to bridge the existing gap amongst different stakeholders of the healthcare ecosystem through digital highways.
With a vision of universal health coverage, NDHM aims at creating a seamless online platform “through the provision of a wide-range of data, information and infrastructure services, duly leveraging open, interoperable, standards-based digital systems” while ensuring the security, confidentiality and privacy of health-related personal information.
The PMO feels that this is likely to unleash a digital health tech revolution with innovations and various services for citizens.
In such a manner, healthcare infrastructure and human resources can also be utilised in a more efficient manner across the nation, an official statement said.
Modi also discussed with officials the concept of UPI e-Voucher developed by National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) that will enable financial transactions linked to specific purposes which can be used only by the intended user.
It can be useful for targeted and efficient delivery of various government schemes . Modi called for expediting steps to expand operations under the NDHM, which he said, will bring ease of living for citizens to avail a large number of health services.
The Prime Minister felt that though the technical platform and building up of registries are inevitable essential elements, the utility of the platform to the citizens will be visible only by way of enabling citizens across the country to avail services like tele consultation with a doctor, availing services of a lab, transferring test reports or health records digitally to the doctor and paying digitally for any of the above services.
Modi asked the National Health Authority, which is also implementing the country's flagship Public health scheme Ayushman Bharat that was launched in September 2018, to coordinate in this direction with the Ministry of Health & the Ministry of Electronics & IT to achieve the desired results.