Proposed health cards are likely to be just an ID proof
THE TENDER NOTICE FOR PROCESSING THE CARDS, WHICH WAS ISSUED THIS MONTH, HAVE NO MENTION OF COLLATING THE MEDICAL HISTORY AND OTHER RECORD OF THE PATIENT
NEW DELHI: Three years ago, when the Aam Aadmi Party came to power, Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain promised residents a health card that could hold patients’ medical history in a cloud.
The card, the health minister had said, would ensure that Delhi residents did not lose their medical records — prescriptions and diagnostic test reports — and would not have to carry it to hospitals.
Other health schemes, when attached to the card, would ensure that people do not miss their vaccination or perform sex selection (as ultrasound reports would have to be uploaded), the minister had said.
Three years later, the tender notice for processing the cards, which was issued this month, have no mention of collating the medical history and other record of the patient. In fact, it is nothing more than just another ID card. It will contain basic details of the patient like name, father or husband’s name, date of birth, gender, mobile num- ber, voter ID number, Aadhaar number, address, and category like general, SC/ST or OBC, according to the tender notice put out by the Delhi government.
“The health card will have all the basic details of a patient, which needs to be filled out every time the patients register at the government hospitals and clinics. This will ease the crowding at government hospitals,” said Dr Kirti Bhushan, Delhi’s director general of health services.
The health department issued a notification inviting an ‘expression of interest’ (a pretender procedure) for the ‘Aam Aadmi Health Card’, which will be issued to all 1.8 crore Delhi- ites. People with health cards will be given priority in registration at government hospitals, clinics and polyclinics, according to the notice.
Explaining the need for the card, the notice states, “the concept of the health card is that the holder of the same shall be entitled for free healthcare services in the healthcare institutions either owned by GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi) or run by GNCTD on society mode,” according to the letter.
The treatment for everyone, including patients coming from other states, is free in all 26 hospitals run by the Delhi government, 25 polyclinics, and more than 100 mohalla clinics.
If free treatment is provided on the basis of the cards, Delhi citizens may benefit only in seven hospitals run on society mode, where minimal registration charges and CGHS rates for some specialised diagnostics and surgeries are charged. Some of these hospitals are ILBS, IHBAS, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, Rajiv Gandhi Superspeciality hospital and Delhi State Cancer Institute.