Special Chief Secretary (Health, Medical and Family Welfare) M.T. Krishna Babu said that the National Health Authority (NHA) has recognised the outstanding efforts and innovative approach of Andhra Pradesh’s Department of Health, Medical and Family Welfare in generating 14-digit unique Ayushman Bharat Health Account numbers (ABHA) for the people of the State.
In a release, Mr. Krishna Babu said that A.P. has adopted an innovative approach to generate ABHA numbers in conjunction with a non-communicable disease survey in a single step, with the assistance of field-level health workers including ANMs, ASHA workers, and Mid-level Healthcare Providers.
“This method involved conducting a door-to-door survey, thereby generating ABHA numbers and linking a basic health profile to the surveyed population,” he said.
“NHA has acknowledged this exemplary and novel approach and has published it as a special case study on the NHA ABDM website. This initiative aims to guide other States in generating ABHA numbers for all citizens of the country,” he said.
Health Commissioner J. Nivas said that as of today, a total of 44,01,00,234 ABHA numbers have been generated across the country and A.P. has successfully generated 4,13,06,832 ABHA accounts, which is the highest in the country in terms of the percentage of the population covered. A.P. has provided ABHA to nearly 85% of its population, he added.
ABHA serves as a unique identifier for individuals participating in India’s digital healthcare ecosystem and provides a hassle-free method for accessing and sharing health records digitally, he said.
