100 Crore Health Records Linked with ABHA under ABDM

Why in News?

The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), implemented by the National Health Authority under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has achieved a major milestone with more than 100 crore health records successfully linked to Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA). 

What is ABDM?

The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is a national digital health initiative aimed at creating an integrated, citizen-centric, and interoperable digital healthcare ecosystem in India.

It seeks to:

• Digitise healthcare services,
• Enable seamless exchange of health data,
• Improve efficiency and accessibility of healthcare delivery.

What is ABHA?

Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) is a unique 14-digit digital health identification number assigned to individuals. 

It allows citizens to:

• Link their health records digitally,
• Access medical history across healthcare providers,
• Share records securely with consent.

Key Features

• ABHA enables secure linkage of health records from hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and healthcare providers.
• ABDM operates on a consent-based health information exchange system.
• Citizens can digitally share medical records while maintaining privacy and security.
• ABDM itself does not store medical records.
• Health records remain stored with healthcare providers according to their retention policies.
• ABDM only facilitates secure exchange of data between stakeholders after patient consent.

Major Achievements

• More than 100 crore health records have been linked with ABHA accounts.
• Uttar Pradesh is the leading contributor with over 15.03 crore linked records.
• Andhra Pradesh follows with more than 11.95 crore linked records.

Important Clarification

Obtaining an ABHA number does not automatically mean enrolment under Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). ABHA is only a digital health identity platform and is separate from health insurance benefits under PMJAY.

Source: PIB