MGM Medical College to create Ayushman Bharat Health Account IDs for Patients

From the 2024-25 academic year, the NMC will consider only those patients whose data is linked to an ABHA ID during inspections, a move that could substantially affect the allocation of seats in medical colleges based on the volume of patient records, reports Free PressJournal.  

The initiative to create ABHA IDs is being mandated across both government-run hospitals and those associated with private medical institutions. Medical colleges nationwide have already started implementing the process of generating these IDs for patients. MGM Medical College has claimed to be ranked fourth in the country in terms of the number of new ABHA IDs prepared.

Previously, medical colleges submitted patient data using internal computer systems and unique registration numbers. However, the new system will recognize only those patients who are documented with an ABHA ID on the official ABHA portal. This transition aims to eliminate discrepancies and the overreporting of patient numbers, a problem particularly prevalent among private medical colleges.

This came after NMC clarified in an order, “All medical colleges must ensure ABHA ID as pre-requisite for registration of patients visiting for the OPD/IPD/emergency services in hospitals attached to them. All patients, OP/IP, must have registration done with the ABHA ID in addition to the hospital's registration number. The Commission has endorsed a strong need to have authentication of patients and other clinical material in the hospital for decision on the prospects of a college (increased seats in UG or PG, new college, annual renewal of permission/recognition to admit students).”

Indore district, which has a population of about 4 million, has so far generated over 2 million ABHA IDs. Efforts are being ramped up to include patient registrations in various health initiatives and vaccination drives. For instance, at MY Hospital, only around 1,500 out of 3,000 daily outpatient department (OPD) patients are currently registered with an ABHA ID, reports the daily.

The move to generate ABHA IDs is expected to bring greater transparency and accuracy to patient records, ensuring that medical colleges can report reliable data during NMC inspections. It also represents a step towards integrating patient data into a unified national health system, which could streamline healthcare delivery and policy implementation.