NEW DELHI :
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 on 15th August, the National Health Authority (NHA) said Friday.
NHA, which is responsible for designing, building and implementing the NDHM, is now witnessing more people signing up for the health IDs.
So far, 1,08,226 unique health IDs have been created in the country as per the NHA data; highest in Chandigarh (64,446) followed by Dadra & Nagar Haveli (25,745), Ladakh (5647), Andaman & Nicobar (3447), Puducherry (2594), Lakshadweep (242) and 6015 health IDs in various other states.
The NDHM consists of six key building blocks – health ID, digi doctor, health facility registry, personal health records, e-pharmacy and elemedicine.
“Health ID will be the key to your digital health journey. Led by highest standards of security and privacy by design, it will enable inclusive access to all health services. By creating a unique ID for every user, it minimises misidentification by mapping of user consent to medical data,” said Dr Indu Bhushan, Chief Executive Officer, NHA.
Health ID under NDHM is a free of cost, voluntary and consent-based application that can be created using Aadhaar or mobile number along with basic information.
This ID allows people to keep a track of their health data and share it only with verified doctors or healthcare providers when needed, after an informed consent, the government claims. There’s also a voluntarily opt-out option, wherein users using it can erase their data anytime.
The government believes that the health IDs can be used to create safer and efficient digital health records. Users may also choose to link their health ID with their family members, new born child and keep a track of vaccination, the NHA said.
The government has also assured that all necessary data privacy measures will be put in place to safeguard the confidentiality of sensitive health-related information of individuals under the NDHM.