PM Modi thanks Bill Gates for hailing Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission; highlights scope

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates after the latter congratulated him on the launch of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. The initiative, launched by PM Modi on Monday, is aimed at providing every Indian citizen with a digital health ID.  Taking to Twitter, Gates had said the digital health infrastructure will help ensure equitable, accessible healthcare delivery and accelerate progress on India’s health goals. 

In reply to Gates' tweet, PM Modi said thanked the entrepreneur for his kind words on the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. He said there is immense scope in leveraging technology for the betterment of health infrastructure and India is working hard in this direction.  This was not the first time that the billionaire philanthropist has appreciated India’s strides in the healthcare sector. Earlier this month, Bill Gates had praised India’s investments towards increasing its vaccine manufacturing capacity.

This digital health ID will act as a health account for citizens and will comprise all the information including the medical history of a patient as well as doctors’ prescriptions which can be accessed anywhere across India. During the launch event, PM Modi said that the service will improve ease of doing business and ease of living too. He also said that a better digital health infrastructure will lead to a rise in tourism.  Highlighting the 'holistic and inclusive' model, the Prime Minister emphasized cheap and accessible healthcare treatment. 

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

"Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will play a big role in eliminating problems in medical treatment of poor and middle class. Through technology, work done by Ayushman Bharat to connect patients with hospitals across the nation is being further expanded and given a strong technology platform," PM had said.

The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission project was announced by PM Modi from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15, 2020, and it will be now implemented on a pilot basis in six Union Territories (UTs), including Puducherry, Chandigarh, Dadra, and Nagar Haveli, Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Daman and Diu, and Lakshadweep. This has been formulated on the grounds set in the form of Jan Dhan, Aadhar and Mobile (JAM) trinity, and other digital initiatives of the government.