Delhi sets up State Health Agency to implement Ayushman Bharat scheme across city hospitals
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has established a dedicated State Health Agency (SHA) within the Delhi Secretariat to oversee the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme across city hospitals.
To operationalise the agency, the health department has diverted 28 medical professionals, including doctors and other staff, from various facilities such as the Dengue Control Centre, district health units, and other government hospitals to the SHA which will be responsible for ensuring effective rollout and monitoring of services under the Ayushman Bharat scheme in the capital.
'The officials will be responsible for facilitation between the empanelled healthcare providers (EHCP) and the National Health Authority. Their tasks include verification and processing claims made by the hospitals for serving patients under the Ayushman Bharat scheme,'a health department official said.
Additionally, a grievance management cell would also be institutionalised under the health panel which will be managed by the diverted officials, the official added.
As per the established mechanism, claims are raised using a centralised online portal within 24 hours of patient discharge, submitting relevant documents and clinical notes. The SHA then approves and processes the claim, with payments made to the EHCP within 15 days of authentication.
Meanwhile, as part of this initiative, the government has issued strict directions to all hospitals under its jurisdiction to begin generating Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) IDs for every patient visiting Outpatient Departments (OPDs), effective May 1. The ABHA ID is a unique identifier that will allow patients to access digital health services and streamline their medical records under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
Additionally, Heads of Institutions have been instructed to compile a Health Professional Registry comprising detailed digital profiles of all doctors and nursing officers employed at their respective hospitals or medical colleges. The deadline for this task has been set for May 11, with a clear directive for strict compliance.
Officials said the move is aimed at strengthening digital health service delivery in Delhi and ensuring that the capital hospitals are fully integrated into the nationwide digital healthcare ecosystem.
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