Karnataka tops in Ayushman Bharat

Mysuru: Ever since Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) was launched in August 2022, Karnataka topped the country in implementing key components of the scheme, including verified health facilities, verified health professionals, eHospital-based linked health records, and stood second in scan and share, quick OPD registration through scans.The key components of ABDM are the 14-digit Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), currently created through Aadhaar or DL, Health Facility Registry, a 12-digit number generated for healthcare facilities, 14-digit number healthcare professionals registry generated for healthcare professionals, ABHA mobile app (PHR), and Unified Health Interface (UHI).According to data, 2.14 crore ABHA IDs have been created in Karnataka. With 46,247 Verified Health Facilities, and 35,870 verified health professionals under Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR), Karnataka is ahead of other states in these two components. The state is in 11th position in Health Records Linkage to ABHA with a whopping 82.25 lakh. By generating 7.4 lakh tokens, the state is next only to Uttar Pradesh in scan and share quick OPD registrations. Karnataka is the first large state to initiate fast-track OPD registration in the country. Health commissioner D Randeep said that registering with Health Facility Registry is not mandatory. “However, we have ensured all health and family welfare health facilities are onboard. For private facilities, it is through persuasion (convincing them on the large-scale benefits of digitisation for hospitals/ patients). All the cumulative achievements are over the last nine months,” he told TOI.According to Akhila Vasan, activist, Janarogya Chaluvali, Karnataka, whatever the data suggests at the ground level, they are demanding strengthening of the government health facilities and providing required medical, para-medical, and other staff to government hospitals. “Presently, Ayushman Bharat schemes are helping private hospitals get government funds in the name of providing healthcare services to the needy. Our demand is using the same funds to strengthen the health services in the government sector,” she said.Shortage of medical, and para-medical staff is the biggest challenge for government hospitals. They have good infrastructure. It is wasting due to the non-availability of required human resources, she added.