The National Health Authority of India did the gardens of the government of India launched the Ayushmann Bharat Digital Health Mission on 21 September 2021 which was earlier known as the National Digital Health Mission. The aim of creating this was to create a strong digital health infrastructure to support the health and medical related needs of the citizens of India. With the help of Ayushmann Bharat Digital health mission, the government will be able to bridge the gap between old and new stakeholders in the healthcare industry. Patients all around the country will easily be able to access their medical information and consult with medical practitioners.
Ayushman Bharat Digital health mission is being implemented with the help of creating building blocks in the form of digital public goods. Digital public goods can be software, AI models, data sets or any other related thing. These usually have a free content licence and help in creating a digital structure and background. This mission runs parallel with many other government schemes, such as the Aadhaar scheme and the Ayushman Bharat Yojana project.
Launch of Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission
On 21 September 2021, the prime minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, introduced the Ayushmann Bharat Dalal health mission to the country through a video conference. This was done in the presence of Mansukh Mandaviya and Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare respectively. The prime minister let the country know about how hard his government has been working for seven years to change and develop the healthcare industry. Through the introduction of the Ayushmann Bharat, digital health mission, he officially announced that the healthcare system of the country is starting a new phase.
India had been including technology in its healthcare system, especially during Covid times. The Aarogya Setu app had a remarkable impact in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The field of telemedicine (spread of healthcare services through telecommunication methods, such as video call, voice call, and more) also grew at a rapid pace as 125 crore medical consultations were done using the E-Sanjeevani platform. Not only that, but 90 crore people were vaccinated with Co-WIN vaccines in India. Without technology, it would have been impossible to fight the coronavirus in India. Inspired by this feat in the healthcare system, the decision to launch the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission was made.
The main motive of the government behind launching this mission was to make access to healthcare easy. They wish to focus on preventative healthcare the most and if people are ridden with any disease, they should have easy and affordable access to treatment. The prime minister also talked about the changes that are being brought in the healthcare education system. During his video conference, he told the world about how the doctors that are passing out of medical schools now are much more experienced and will be at par with the medical requirements of the country. This is a huge deal as this was not the case 7 to 8 years ago. Many medical institutions are also being established so that more and more students can study medicine. It was said that for every three constituencies in the Lok Sabha, one medical college is going to be constructed.
Adding to that, the primary focus was to make the healthcare system as inclusive as possible. This means that healthcare facilities facilitated by technology will not only be present in urban areas, but also rural ones. People from remote areas should also have equal access to up-and-coming healthcare facilities and this is made possible under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission. More than 80,000 healthcare centres have been made in remote areas and are now operational.
It is important to note that the scheme was implemented very quickly in some places, especially the following Union Territories – Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Ladakh, Chandigarh and Puducherry. Health minister, Mansukh Mandaviya was not hesitant in expressing his confidence in this mission and all the related missions launched by the government of India.
The Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission keeps the citizens of India at the centre of the healthcare ecosystem. Surrounding citizens are the providers, policy makers, healthcare professionals and workers, allied private companies, administrative workers, and the third sector including NGOs, development partners and more. We can clearly see that the government is determined to make an efficient and flawless healthcare system for the people. To be able to have healthcare facilities with just a click on your mobile phone speaks volumes about the advancement of a healthcare industry in any country. In just a few years, India has made it possible.
It is safe to say that the Ayushmann Bharat Digital Health Mission is nothing short of a revolutionary step towards the healthcare system of India. We are truly living in the age of technology, and it is time to include it in healthcare as well. Not only will it help the government in smooth functioning of the healthcare industry, but it will also make access to healthcare easier and much more efficient for the common public. We have already seen how the Ayushmann Bharat digital health mission is making strides in the six union territories mentioned above. The implementation of the mission is in full swing not only in urban areas, but also in distant areas of the country. The government is on the right path of changing the healthcare landscape of the country for the better.
