Digital OPD a mixed bag with over 24 mn entries

The National Health Authority’s (NHA) scan and share service has recorded more than 24 million digital out-patient department (OPD) registrations since its inception in September 2022, with Uttar Pradesh topping the list with over 7.8 million OPD tokens generated.

The data from Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) dashboard on April 18 reveal that Andhra Pradesh, with 4.2 million tokens, takes the second spot followed by Karnataka (3.4 million tokens).

The list, however, shows extreme variations. At the bottom of the list is Tamil Nadu with only 94 OPD tokens issued till now followed by Himachal Pradesh (281 tokens), Sikkim (690 tokens) and Kerala (921 tokens).

According to the NHA, the scan and share service provides patients with the option to scan QR codes placed at the OPD registration counters and share their Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) number for instant registration and token generation.

“This helps patients to avoid long lines for OPD treatment, thus cutting the waiting time,” an official said.

According to the data, Uttar Pradesh has 14 of the top 25 healthcare facilities/hospitals recording the highest OPD registrations, followed by five in Andhra Pradesh.

The data shows that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi recorded the most registrations by a centre under the digital OPD service, with 1.24 million tokens being generated by the hospital till now.

The scan and share service is currently available at 4,399 healthcare facilities in 510 districts across 33 states and union territories, except for Mizoram, Nagaland and Union Territory of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Speaking on the future plans for the service, an official said there are plans to extend this service for pharmacy counters and laboratories, with an intention to reduce a patient’s time in accessing healthcare services.

“The Abha-based registrations would also give patients digital access to their prescriptions, pharmacy slips and diagnostic reports,” the official added.

The ABHA number is a unique 14-digit identification number called the ABHA ID, under which an individual’s medical history, consultation details, prescriptions etc are registered.

The ID is used to secure all medical records in a digital locker (with the consent of the individual).