Haryana directs Live CCTV surveillance of ICUs for Ayushman Bharat patients

Gurgaon: To ensure proper documentation and monitoring under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme, the Haryana government has instructed all empanelled hospitals to keep beneficiaries admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and High Dependency Units (HDUs) under continuous live CCTV surveillance.

The order, issued on Wednesday by the Haryana Health Protection Authority, applies to all beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), including patients on ventilator support. Hospitals have been told to share real-time CCTV feeds with the State Health Agency for verification, monitoring and claim processing.

According to the directive, cameras must be positioned to confirm patient presence and delivery of care, while ensuring patient dignity and privacy. Hospitals have been instructed to provide access to the live feed immediately. The directive clarifies that the live feed would be utilised solely for verification, monitoring, audit and processing of claims under AB-PMJAY.

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The decision was taken to prevent misuse of the insurance scheme and to strengthen oversight. Around 1.8 crore people from low-income families in the state are registered under the health insurance scheme.

"The medical superintendent/authorised Ayushman Bharat nodal officer of the hospital shall be personally responsible for ensuring compliance with these directions. Hospitals to install technical safeguards to prevent tampering or manipulation of footage. CCTV footage shall not be shared with any unauthorised person or agency. Non-compliance would attract fines, suspension or even de-empanelment from the scheme," stated the order.

However, the move has gained strong objections from doctors who stated that live video monitoring of critical care areas could breach patient confidentiality and medical ethics.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has warned that filming inside ICUs means cameras will inevitably capture exposed bodies, invasive procedures, and moments of distress, which could violate patient confidentiality.

Speaking to TOI, Former IMA Haryana president Dr Ajay Mahajan said, “Even with safeguards in place, live streaming expands the risk of leaks or misuse of sensitive footage. This is also against National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH) guidelines.”

In an NABH-accredited hospital, patients have the right to safe, respectful and transparent care, including clear information on their condition and treatment, dignity and privacy, timely care from qualified professionals, and the freedom to give or withhold informed consent.

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023—a legal framework for protecting digital personal data, focusing on individual rights, consent-based processing, and obligations for organisations—also treats health-related information as "sensitive personal data".

Doctors pointed out that patients admitted to ICUs are rarely in a position to grant informed consent. They claimed that real-time monitoring of ICUs for an external authority also went beyond routine hospital surveillance.

According to doctors, the directive puts the onus on hospitals to ensure adherence to patient confidentiality and data protection norms.

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