NEW DELHI:
Nine months after the Delhi government announced its plans to launch the ‘Aam Aadmi Health Card’, the health department has started work on the ambitious health project. The project, which aims to streamline patient services in state-run hospitals, will take a few more months to be launched in its entirety in the capital.
Initially expected to be launched by the end of this year, the project will facilitate Delhi’s 1.8 crore residents in availing healthcare services in the capital. Interested companies and agencies were asked to submit their proposals on the card by February 28 this year.
“A lot of work needs to be done before launching the card. The committee formed to work on the project has submitted its report, now we will work on the modalities. The launch will take some more months,” said a senior health department official.
As per the plan, the health card will be similar to an ATM card. To register, a person aged 18 or more will have to provide his or her voter ID from Delhi along with the Aadhaar card. Once a patient has registered for the card, the entire medical history along with the credentials will be recorded. The card will further help in carrying out investigations, and the patient will no longer have to stand in queue to register details. “A unique ID will be generated for every patient, which will display the entire medical history. A doctor will not have to ask him again about previous visits… The QR code can be scanned for other details,” added the official.
The initiative is among a series of plans proposed by the AAP government. The scheme is applicable to permanent residents of Delhi, and pertains to providing patients specified high-end diagnostic (radiological) tests and surgeries free of cost at private hospitals, in case of delay in government facilities. The department is expected to submit the report by the end of this month, the official said.
