All About the Digital Health ID Card for Every Indian

On 15th August 2020, PM had announced the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. After almost a year, the scheme where there is a Digital Health ID Card for every Indian has come into operational existence. Currently, over one lakh unique health IDs have been created under the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), which was initially launched across six States and Union Territories on a pilot basis. The key component of the scheme includes a 14 digit health identification card which will be a repository of sorts for every health-related information of a person. Read on to know what the Digital Health ID entails. 

After a grand push to make the identity, finances, and vaccination status of Indian citizens, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an initiative of recording citizens’ health digitally. In a move to decentralize the healthcare structure and make it more accessible to people from all walks of life, the prime minister on Monday, 27th September announced the launch of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission to bring several “revolutionary changes” in the Indian healthcare facilities.

Let us dive into the details of the unique health IDs which are set to transform the Indian healthcare ecosystem.  

What is the digital health ID Card under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission? 

Under the mission, every Indian will receive a 14-digit randomly generated unique Health ID similar to Aadhaar number. The ID will have all the health records of an individual. It will be used for needs like identifying a person, authenticating them, and accessing their health records, with consent, across multiple systems.  In his Independence Day speech last year, the prime minister had announced, “Under the National Digital Health Mission, 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.” 

The scheme presently consists of four key blocks: unique digital health ID, health facility registry, healthcare professionals registry, and electronic health records. The primary objective of the scheme would be to build a digital environment for the Indian healthcare ecosystem on these four pillars.  

Talking about the benefits of the Digital Health ID card for every Indian and its role in creating India’s digital health ecosystem, an official said, “The primary aim of this mission is to enhance the efficiency of the healthcare system in India. The National Digital Health ecosystem will be a one-stop solution for the healthcare needs of the common man. The difficulty of maintaining long trails of paper-based health records, or standing in long queues at health facilities, etc. will no longer be a burden in this digitally-driven ecosystem.” 

What are the benefits of the Digital Health ID Card? 

The Digital Health ID will act as one-stop access for all health records. The doctors and health centers will be able to view the complete health history of the individuals through the card. It will enable the government to keep a record of each individual’s health information straight from admission to treatment and discharge on the cloud. 
It is anticipated that the Digital Health ID will be used to offer facilities like e-pharmacy and telemedicine etc. While the insurance companies will also be able to get the client details directly through the card.  

How to apply for National Health Card? 

Ayushman Bharat Digital mission card registration process requires you to give your phone number, name, gender, your year of birth, and address. You can even create the digital health ID on the Ayushman Bharat portal by using your Aadhar card.  

Here are the steps of how to do Ayushman Bharat registration online –  

Step 1: Go to the Official Website National Digital Health Mission https://nha.gov.in/.  

Step 2: Scroll to the Health ID section and click on ‘Create Health ID’. 

Step 3: You will be directed to a new page which will have three options: 

• Generate Health ID via Aadhar 

• I don’t have Aadhar/I don’t want to use Aadhar for creating the Health ID 

• Already have a Health ID? Login 

Step 4:  If you wish to use Aadhar to create the Digital Health ID, choose the first option and submit the 12-digit Aadhar number. Otherwise, choose the second option to create the Health ID using the mobile number.  

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is a step forward towards the technology-led digitalization of healthcare. At Onsurity, we believe that in order to support a tech-led transformation of healthcare and make it accessible across the nation, it is important to understand the efforts taken in that direction. We hope that we were able to get you up to date with the recent progress in the direction of healthcare digitalization and accessibility.