The National Health Authority's (NHA) scan and share service, a key feature of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), has achieved a remarkable milestone by recording over 24 million digital outpatient department (OPD) registrations since its launch in September 2022.

Leading the tally is Uttar Pradesh with over 7.8 million OPD tokens generated, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 4.2 million and Karnataka with 3.4 million tokens. Jammu and Kashmir secured the fourth spot with 3.2 million digital OPD tokens, while Delhi recorded 1.7 million tokens.

Conversely, Tamil Nadu has reported the lowest adoption of the Digital OPD scan and share service with only 94 tokens issued, trailed by Himachal Pradesh (281 tokens), Sikkim (690 tokens), and Kerala (921 tokens).

Despite regional variations, the scan and share service has proven invaluable to patients, enabling them to swiftly generate their Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) number by scanning QR codes at OPD registration counters. This has significantly reduced waiting times and bypassed lengthy queues.

Top Healthcare Facilities in Digital OPD Registrations

Uttar Pradesh leads in healthcare facility rankings, claiming 14 of the top 25 facilities with the highest OPD registrations, followed by Andhra Pradesh with five. AIIMS New Delhi tops the list among individual centers, generating 1.24 million tokens.

The scan and share service is currently available at 4,422 healthcare facilities across 510 districts in 33 states and union territories, excluding Mizoram, Nagaland, and the Union Territory of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

The government plans to extend the scan and share service to pharmacy counters and laboratories to further streamline patient access to healthcare services. To date, 72,016 pharmacy tokens have been generated under the scheme.

eSanjeevani Programme and Digital Health Ecosystem

The eSanjeevani Programme, launched by the Indian Government, offers the first-ever online OPD consultation service, aiming to provide accessible healthcare services leveraging digital technology, especially during the pandemic.

In addition to the Scan and Share facility, the eSanjeevani Programme provides telemedicine services, enabling remote consultations with healthcare providers and reducing the need for physical hospital visits.

The broader digital health ecosystem developed by the Indian government includes initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, CoWIN App, Aarogya Setu, e-Hospital, and e-Health & Telemedicine.

Understanding ABHA ID

The Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) is a digital health ID card introduced by the Indian government. It offers a unique 14-digit identification code to centrally store and manage an individual's medical records, including medical history, treatments, and consultations.

Part of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), the ABHA card aims to consolidate a patient's medical history into a single-point repository, eliminating the need for physical records and allowing healthcare providers across facilities to access comprehensive medical histories.

Linked to various government healthcare benefits, including health insurance and discounted services at government facilities nationwide, ABHA enhances transparency in healthcare operations.

By integrating ABHA-based registrations, patients gain digital access to prescriptions, pharmacy slips, and diagnostic reports, thereby enhancing convenience and efficiency in healthcare delivery.