Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
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Context: Cabinet approved the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
Details:
- The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved the implementation of a Central Sector Scheme, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with a budget of Rs.1,600 crore for five years.
Ayushman Bharat:
- Ayushman Bharat is a flagship scheme of Government of India, was launched as recommended by the National Health Policy 2017, to achieve the vision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
- It was launched in September 2018 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- It is a national public health insurance fund of the Government of India that aims to provide free access to health insurance coverage for low income earners in the country.
- Roughly, the bottom 50% of the country qualifies for this scheme.
- It is a centrally sponsored scheme and is jointly funded by both the union government and the states.
- By offering services to 50 crore (500 million) people it is the world's largest government sponsored healthcare program.
- This initiative has been designed to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its underlining commitment, which is to "leave no one behind."
Benefits:
- It covers all hospitalisation expenses with cashless transactions to beneficiaries.
- Accommodation during hospitalisation.
- Pre and post-hospitalisation costs.
- Any complications arising during the treatment.
- Can be used by all family members.
- No cap on family size, age or gender.
- Pre-existing conditions are included from day one.
Eligibility:
Rural
- Household with no adult/male/ earning member within the age group of 16-59 years
- Families living in one room with Kuccha Kuccha walls and roof
- Families with no members within the age group of 16-59 years
- Household without a healthy adult member and one disabled member
- Manual scavenger families
- Landless households earning a major part of their family income from manual labour
Urban
- Domestic worker
- Beggar
- Ragpicker
- Home-based Artisans/ Tailor Sweeper/ Handicrafts worker/ Sanitation worker/ Mali
- Construction worker/ Labour/ Painter/ Welder/ Security guard/ Coolie
- Washer-man/ Plumber/ Mason
- Electrician/ Mechanic/ Assembler/ Repair worker
- Transport worker/ Rickshaw puller/ Conductor/ Cart puller/
- Waiter/Shop worker/ Assistant/ Peon/Delivery assistant
- Street vendors/ hawker / Cobbler
Who is not entitled to avail coverage under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana?
- The following categories of entities are not covered under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana:
- People who own a vehicle like a two-wheeler, three-wheeler, or a car
- Government employees
- People whose monthly income is more than Rs 10,000
- Those who have farming machinery and equipments
- Those who live in properly build houses
- Those who hold a Kisan card
- Those owing a motorized fishing boat
- Those owing an agriculture land of more than 5 acres
- People employed in government-run non-agricultural enterprises
- People who have refrigerators and landline phones in their houses
About Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission:
- It will ensure access to quality healthcare by promoting use of technologies such as telemedicine and supporting national portability of health services.
- Citizens can create their ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) numbers, to link their digital health records.
- The National Health Authority will be the implementing agency of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
- It aims to create a National Digital Health ecosystem that supports universal health coverage in an efficient, accessible, inclusive, affordable, timely and safe manner.
Concerns:
- Privacy concerns and misuse of data.
- Exclusion of citizens and denied healthcare due to system failure or technical errors.
Present status of Healthcare in India:
- According to WHO Study 34% of Indians are physically inactive.
- Fertility rate in 23 States and UTs including all the Southern States is below the Replacement rate while it is higher in a number of States in Central, east and north-east India.
- Despite increasing knowledge of Contraceptive methods men have not taken up the responsibility of managing fertility.
- India 3rd most obese nation after US and China.
- Non Communicable diseases top killers' Diabetes, Cancer and heart disease Cause over 70% of deaths.
Steps taken by the Government:
- Promotion of Institutional deliveries through Cash incentive under Janani Suraksha Yojana.
- Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram: Free ante-natal Check-ups, Post-natal Care and treatment of Sick infants till one year of age.
- Providing Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Services, establishment of Special Newborn Care Units.
- Home Based Newborn Care is being provided by ASHAs.
- MAA for improving breastfeeding Practices.
- Pradhan Mantri Dialysis Program.
- Mission Indradhnaush: Expanding full immunization Coverage, introduction of new vaccines.
- PM Swasthya Suraksha Yojana for strengthening tertiary health Sector.
- POSHAN Abhiyaan to address Malnutrition.
- Iron and folic acid Supplementation for Prevention of Anemia, home visits by ASHAs to Promote breastfeeding and Promote use of ORS and Zinc for management of diarrhea in Children.
- Medical Devices Rules, 2017: Transparent regulatory System, Ensure Safety and quality of medical devices, Allowed 100% FDI in medical devices Sector to Promote Make in India.
- National Health Resource Repository: Create a reliable, unified registry of Country’s healthcare resources showing the distribution Pattern of health facilities and Services between Cities and rural areas - ISRO is technology Partner for providing data Security.
- Allowed 100% FDI in the Medical devices Sector to promote Make in India.
- Kayakalp initiative to Promote Cleanliness, hygiene and infection Control practices in public health facilities.
National Health Policy 2017 targets:
- Shifts From communicable to non-communicable diseases.
- Collaborating & regulating the private Sector.
- Shift from Sick-care to wellness.
- Increase Life Expectancy at birth from 67.5 to 70 by 2025.
- Reduction of TFR to 2.1 at national and Sub-national level by 2025.
- Reduce under Five Mortality to 23 by 2025 and MMR from current levels to 100 by 2020.
- Reduce infant mortality rate to 28 by 2019.
- Reduce neonatal mortality to 16 and stillbirth rate to “single digit” by 2025.
- Reduce premature mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory diseases by 25% by 2025.
Steps need to be taken:
- Reduce the Pressure on Secondary and tertiary hospitals by investing in Preventive and Primary health Care facilities.
- Early detection and Prevention.
- Provide adequate protection to doctors.
- Increasing Doctor Patient ratio.
- Reduce Out Of Pocket Expenditure.
- Increasing number of vaccines under Mission Indradhanush.
- Increasing the number of drugs and medical devices under price Control.
- The Ministry Should Standardize the Cost of Certain treatments.
- Raising Public Health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP.
- Provide accessible, affordable and quality health Care.
- Inform and educate People about the traditional Systems of medicine.
- Ayurveda Doctors and Yoga Teachers for Rural Areas.
- Improve Hospital access, Health worker density, Access to essential medicine.
- Mobile Medical Units to Provide outreach Services in rural and remote areas.
Conclusion:
- 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 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.
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