Chandigarh-based PGIMER says health ID must for staffers, NHA refutes stand

The Union government has so far maintained that creation of digital health IDs is a voluntary exercise.
Representational Image. (File Photo | PTI)
Representational Image. (File Photo | PTI)
Updated on
2 min read

NEW DELHI:  A circular issued by Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, a central government institute, has asked all its staffers to mandatorily get health IDs created under the National Digital Health Mission.

The Union government has so far maintained that creation of digital health IDs is a voluntary exercise.

The NDHM, rolled out in six Union Territories on a pilot basis for now, was launched by PM Narendra Modi on August 15. As per the draft NDHM policy, which is yet to be adopted, the objective of the mission is “…to create a system of digital personal and medical health records which is easily accessible to individuals and health service providers and is purely voluntary in nature, based on the consent of individuals”.

The circular issued last week by the PGIMER, undersigned both by the director and the medical superintendent, says otherwise. 

“The registration for generating Health IDs is mandatory for all the citizens of our country and Chandigarh administration has also initiated the registration process on the link shared by the government and directed to: get the facility registered, all the doctors registered and all others and their family members to get registered on this application mandatorily,” it says.

GIMER director Dr Jagat Ram could not be reached for comments despite multiple attempts, but Indu Bhushan, CEO of the National Health Authority, which is operationalising the NDHM, told this newspaper that “this is a wrong circular”.

“We will take it up with the hospital. They can’t do it,” he added. Praveen Gedam, additional CEO at the NHA who is in-charge of the mission, insisted that it was a case of misunderstanding.

“We will get in touch with PGIMER and repeat these instructions.”

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