Centre to launch Aarogya Setu 2.0, other digital initiatives for inclusive healthcare

New Delhi, June 27 (IANS) Union Health Minister JP Nadda is set to launch a series of digital initiatives for health sector, like Aarogya Setu 2.0 which is a comprehensive Personal Health Record Application (PHR) for citizens, it was announced on Saturday.

The launch event on June 29 in the national capital will bring together state representatives, senior government officials, healthcare leaders, technology partners, industry representatives and key stakeholders from across the healthcare ecosystem to mark another milestone in India’s journey towards building a connected and interoperable healthcare ecosystem.

The initiatives being launched include citizen-facing applications, provider-focused solutions, interoperability frameworks, registries and data standards.

Building on the trust and reach established during the COVID-19 pandemic, the revamped Aarogya Setu 2.0 application provides a gateway to multiple digital health services through a single platform.

The application enables creation and management of ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account), access to and sharing of digital health records, consent-based health information exchange, AI-powered health insights and smart health reports, wearable device integration, OPD registration through Scan & Register, hospital payments through Scan & Pay, medication reminders and family health management, according to the ministry.

It also facilitates discovery of nearby healthcare facilities and doctors, ambulance services, blood banks with blood unit availability, and Jan Aushadhi Kendras. In addition, the application provides access to PM-JAY services, including search for PM-JAY empanelled hospitals, access to AB PM-JAY wallet and Ayushman CAPF policy details, along with seamless access to other healthcare services.

The enhanced Ayushman App will also serve as a one-stop digital platform for the beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).

Another key initiative is Ayushman Sarathi, a WhatsApp chatbot for beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY.

Designed to deliver PM-JAY services through a simple conversational interface, Ayushman Sarathi will enable citizens to access key scheme-related services, thereby improving accessibility and strengthening last-mile service delivery.

The National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), a digital public infrastructure for seamless health claims processing, will enable standardised exchange of health claims information between providers and payers across public and private health insurance programmes, thereby reducing administrative burden and facilitating faster and more efficient claims processing.

The Drug Registry will also be launched with the aim of standardising medicine-related information across the healthcare ecosystem.

Recognising that interoperability is built upon common standards and shared vocabularies, the Government will launch the Common LOINC Codes for India (CLCI), a nationally curated subset of international laboratory standards tailored for Indian healthcare needs, developed by NRCeS.

—IANS

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