Digital health card may be rolled out by March 2022: Delhi CM Kejriwal
The HIMS project envisages digital health cards which will essentially be a QR code-based system that will keep a record of clinical details such as health checks, follow-ups, surgeries, medications and vaccinations for each patient
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday that his government’s ambitious project of a cloud-based healthcare information management system (HIMS) for Delhi residents is likely to be rolled out by March next year.
“Reviewed the progress of Health Information Management System (HIMS). We are creating the most modern health information system in Delhi. Due to Covid-19, there are some delays. Hopefully, it should start by March,” Kejriwal tweeted after a review meeting on Thursday which was also attended by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and health minister Satyendar Jain.
Later in the day, a statement issued by Kejriwal’s office said, “He directed the officials to ensure the implementation of the HIMS project within the stipulated deadline...Along with the HIMS project, Health Helpline will also be started and special surveys will be conducted for issuing of e-health cards.
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“Health cards will be issued in the names of all the residents of Delhi, for which special surveys will be conducted by the government. This will ensure the availability of the benefits of the government healthcare services to every resident of Delhi,” it said.
The system is also supposed to include a 24x7 call centre, or Health Helpline which will provide two levels of help — first where an operator will receive people’s calls and messages and provide them with requisite information and second, where doctors and experts will provide appointments based on the problem or immediately provide solutions for emergency cases, the statement said.
The HIMS project envisages digital health cards which will essentially be a QR code-based system that will keep a record of clinical details such as health checks, follow-ups, surgeries, medications and vaccinations for each patient. The system is also supposed to include a mobile phone application as well as a 24x7 call centre to help patients with health-related information, fix consultations and other assistance, senior government officials said.
In its first phase, which was supposed to be rolled out by August this year, the project is likely to cover all Delhi government hospitals and dispensaries. Central government hospitals and private hospitals are likely to be included in subsequent phases, said senior government officials.