National Digital Health Mission to be expanded

The government has decided to expedite the expansion of operations under the National Digital Health Mission, including the rollout of a unified health interface (UHI) which will enable people to use the digital platform for a host of health services, including online medical consultation and booking of laboratory tests. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired a meeting to review the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM). He had announced the launch of NDHM in his Independence Day speech last year.

During the meeting, Modi observed that though the technical platform and building up of registries are inevitable essential elements, the utility of the NDHM platform will be visible when citizens are able to avail of services such as teleconsultation with a doctor, booking of laboratory tests, sharing of test reports or health records with medical practitioners, and payments for these services. The government plans to roll out UHI--an open and interoperable IT network for digital health - at the earliest.