What's National Digital Health Mission and how will it benefit Indians?

On August 15, PM Modi announced India's National Digital Health Mission with a unique health ID for each citizen. On Aug 26, government  released a draft health data management policy for the National Digital Health Mission. The draft policy will set out a framework for the secure processing of personal and sensitive personal data of individuals who will be part of digital health ecosystem.
What is the National Digital Health Mission and how will it benefit the population?

PM Modi on NDHM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech from Red Fort announced the National Digital Health Mission. As per the mission, every Indian will have a health ID. He said that this will revolutionise the Indian health sector. PM Modi added that the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) will ensure seamless healthcare services through the health card.

Digital Health ID

Every citizen will get a digital health ID which will have all the health records. It will be linked to the registry of doctors and health facilities across the country. The aim is to improve efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of health services in the country.
The health ID will be in the form of a mobile application.

Health ID to be used at hospitals, pharmacies and labs

The digital health ecosystem would be a voluntary one and would be up to the user to enrol, hospitals and doctors to enrols. Health records of individuals could be accessed but only after authorisation. Users would also be able to link their Aadhaar with the health IDs. The IDs could be put to use at hospitals, pharmacies and labs across the country.

Digital signature for prescriptions

Digi Doctor would allow doctors to sign up on the app along with their details and contact numbers. They would also be assigned a digital signature that they could use for prescriptions. Health facilities would also be assigned a unique electronic identifier.

Data privacy of individuals

Ownership of the data would remain with individuals and consent would be required to access it. The user would have the final say in allowing a medical practitioner or facility to access the health records even for a limited period of time.

NHA, creator of the scheme

The National Health Authority (NHA) that is implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme has created the platform. The NDHM would be available as an app and website. The technology platforms are ready as well as the cloud infrastructure.

Budget approved for the programme

While the Ministry of Finance has approved a budget of Rs 470 for the National Digital Health Mission, the platform is likely to seek around Rs 400 crore from the government.