The National Health Authority and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

Why in News?

• NHA announces Digital Health Incentive Scheme for stakeholders to give boost to digital health transactions under ABDM
• The National Health Authority, NHA has announced a Digital Health Incentive Scheme, DHIS for the stakeholders of the digital health ecosystem.
• The scheme aims to give a further boost to digital health transactions in the country under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
• The incentives under this scheme would be provided to hospitals and diagnostic labs and also to the providers of digital health solutions such as Hospital/ Health Management Information Systems and Laboratory Management Information Systems.
• Under the DHIS, the eligible health facilities and digital solutions companies shall be able to earn financial incentives of up to Four crore rupees based on the number of digital health records they create and link to Ayushman Bharat Health Account, ABHA.
• This incentive can be availed by the hospitals and diagnostic labs registered with Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission’s Health Facility Registry and fulfilling the eligibility criterion specified under the scheme.

About NHA

• National Health Authority (NHA) is the apex body responsible for implementing India’s flagship public health insurance/assurance scheme called “Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana” & has been entrusted with the role of designing strategy, building technological infrastructure and implementation of “National Digital Health Mission” to create a National Digital Health Eco-system.
• National Health Authority is the successor of the National Health Agency, which was functioning as a registered society since 23rd May, 2018.
• NHA has been set-up to implement PM-JAY, as it is popularly known, at the national level. An attached office of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with full functional autonomy, NHA is governed by a Governing Board chaired by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare. It is headed by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), an officer of the rank of Secretary to the Government of India, who manages its affairs. The CEO is the Ex-Office Member Secretary of the Governing Board.
• To implement the scheme at the State level, State Health Agencies (SHAs) in the form of a society/trust have been set up by respective States. SHAs have full operational autonomy over the implementation of the scheme in the State including extending the coverage to non SECC beneficiaries.
• NHA is leading the implementation for Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission ABDM in coordination with different ministries/departments of the Government of India, State Governments, and private sector/civil society organizations.

About Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)

• Prime Minister launched the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) via video conferencing on 27th September 2021, in the presence of Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, among other dignitaries.
• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will connect the digital health solutions of hospitals across the country with each other.
• The Mission will not only make the processes of hospitals simplified but also will increase ease of living.
• The Digital Ecosystem will also enable a host of other facilities like Digital Consultation, Consent of patients in letting medical practitioners access their records, etc. With the implementation of this scheme, old medical records cannot get lost as every record will be stored digitally.

The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission was piloted successfully for one year in the six Union Territories:

• Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Chandigarh
• Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
• Ladakh
• Lakshadweep
• Puducherry