It was first discussed by the NITI Aayog in 2018 as part of an initiative to build a National Health Stack and then in 2019 it was reiterated in the National Digital Health Blueprint. The scheme will be tested in the Union Territories of Chandigarh, Ladakh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. After adding the necessary change it will be rolled out for the rest of the country.
The National Digital Health Mission comprises six blocks - HealthID, DigiDoctor, Health Facility Registry, Personal Health Records, e-Pharmacy, and Telemedicine. It is believed it will have a citizen ‘centric approach’ will give access to timely and affordable healthcare to everyone.
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In his announcement at the Red Fort, PM Modi said that the NDHM will revolutionize the health care sector of India. According to an IANS report, Dr Indu Bhushan, Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Authority, said, "The core building blocks of the mission is that the health ID, DigiDoctor and Health Facility Registry shall be owned, operated and maintained by the Government of India."
Here's how the Health ID card works:
- Digital health ID will be used as one-stop access through which you can provide all your health records to any of your doctors and healthcare centres. Since the Government of India owns and operates the Mission, the government will keep a record of your information “right from the admission to treatment and discharge” in the cloud. Moreover, health insurance companies too will have access to all your information through your Health ID digits.
- In the beginning, to create a Health ID card, a user will have to provide a phone number or Aadhar card number. Basic details such as gender, name, date of birth, etc need to be entered once you have put in your Aadhar number or phone number.
- Parents with children below the age of 18 have the ability to create an ID for time, a nominee will also have to be appointed to help manage records.
- The health ID card can be created by any healthcare provider who has been registered under the National Health Infrastructure Registry.
- Digital health IDs have a voluntary opt-in opt-out system, unlike Aadhar which only gives this option to children. The portal is said to be encrypted, citizens can also control who accesses their information as they can hide certain information from healthcare bodies by enabling only partial consent.
- There are plans to bring an option to let people upload their paper records under their health IDs.
- National Policy on Security of Health Records will also be developed to handle personal health records stored under the digital health IDs.