The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved the nationwide roll-out of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) with a budget of Rs 1,600 crore for five years, according to an official statement. The National Health Authority (NHA) will be the implementing agency of the central sector scheme.

Under the ABDM, citizens will be able to create their Ayushman Bharat Health Account numbers, to which their digital health records can be linked, the statement said. This will enable creation of longitudinal health records for individuals and improve clinical decision-making by healthcare providers, it stated.

It will improve equitable access to quality healthcare by encouraging use of technologies such as telemedicine and enabling national portability of health services. Digital health solutions across healthcare ecosystem have proven to be of immense benefit over the years, with CoWIN, Arogya Setu and eSanjeevani further demonstrating the role technology can play in enabling access to healthcare. However, there is a need to integrate such solutions for continuum of care, and effective utilisation of resources, the statement said.

Based on the foundations laid down in the form of Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile (JAM) trinity and other digital initiatives of the government, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is 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 pilot of ABDM was completed in the six Union Territories of Ladakh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep with successful demonstration of technology platform developed by the NHA, the statement said.

During the pilot, a digital sandbox was created in which more than 774 partner solutions are undergoing integration. As on February 24 this year, 17,33,69,087 Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts have been created and 10,114 doctors and 17,319 health facilities have been registered in ABDM. Not only will ABDM facilitate evidence-based decision making for effective public health interventions, but it will also catalyse innovation and generate employment across the healthcare ecosystem, the statement added.

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(Edited by : Thomas Abraham)