Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly hosts ABHA number registration camp to digitize healthcare records

The Health Department of Arunachal Pradesh set up a special two-day camp inside the Legislative Assembly to generate Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) numbers for state legislators. The camp aimed to create awareness of digital health records and the importance of ABHA numbers.

Under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), ABHA numbers are generated to create longitudinal health records for citizens' medical histories. All health-related information and doctor details can be stored in one platform, and medical documents such as diagnostic test reports and medical prescriptions can be added to the health record for future reference.

During the event, health officials enlightened legislators and ministers about the importance of ABHA numbers and their utilization. Dr Dusu Gambo, State Coordinator of ABDM, stated that ABHA numbers are created for all citizens of India to keep health records in digital form, which will replace manual paper records and can be accessed anywhere through mobiles.

The Speaker of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly urged all members, staff, and accessible citizens to register themselves for ABHA numbers as they can avail healthcare facilities all over India. The ABHA number will have a record of the patient's past history of diseases and the treatment undertaken, and accordingly, the patient will then be treated.

The Special Secretary to the Health and Family Welfare Department of Arunachal Pradesh informed that ABHA numbers are part of an initiative under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission by the Government of India. Citizens can keep the health records entered digitally, which is the main benefit of having this ABHA number. If patients get transferred from one hospital to another, these records play a beneficial role for further treatment accordingly only with the consent of the ABHA account holder.

This two-day registration camp established in the state legislative assembly amid the ongoing session aims to create awareness of this account number and to encourage the masses to avail of this card through the legislators who will further spread awareness in their respective constituencies. The ABHA number can be created through offline mode through biometric devices at any place even where there are no internet facilities.

This initiative is a step towards creating digital health infrastructure, making medical coverage more accessible, and providing a next step in digitizing healthcare records. Already 2.5 lakh ABHA cards have been created, and camps are regularly organized to create more awareness. Citizens who don't have their mobile numbers linked with their Aadhaar card can also avail of this ABHA number through the new initiative of NHDM by using biometric devices.