In his Independence Day speech on August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that every Indian would get a health ID under the Nati...
In his Independence Day speech on August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that every Indian would get a health ID under the National Digital Health Mission. He said this would revolutionise healthcare in the country.
“Your every test, every illness, what doctors prescribed and when, your reports will be on a single health ID,” Modi said.
How exactly will digital health records help Indians access affordable healthcare? And how can the government ensure the privacy of citizens’ health data?
While the government has not offered any clear answers to the first question, it has released a draft Health Data Management Policy, which it claims would protect citizens’ health data by regulating its collection and storage.
The draft policy was announced on August 26 in a press statement by the National Health Authority, an agency that functions under the health ministry. It invited public comments on the draft till September 3. Facing criticism for providing a narrow window for public comments, the National Health Authority extended the deadline till September 10.
But a doctor and disability rights activist in the Delhi High Court filed a petition pointing out that the time period was inadequate: “healthcare workers are fully engrossed in management of the Covid-19 pandemic, and it is unreasonable to expect them to analyse...
