Centre to launch Aarogya Setu 2.0 on June 29 to expand access to healthcare services

INdia’s wellness ministry testament set in motion a redesigned variation of Aarogya Setu, the app introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, alongside a wider parcel of digital health platforms, on Monday, according to a statement from the Press Information Bureau (PIB).Track live updates on US-Iran warUnion minister for health and family welfare and chemicals and fertilisers Jagat Prakash Nadda will launch the initiatives at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on June 29, the statement said. They have been developed under the National Health Authority (NHA) and the National Resource Centre for EHR Standards (NRCeS), and are intended to expand access to healthcare services and strengthen interoperability across India’s digital health infrastructure, according to the release.The revamped Aarogya Setu is described in the release as a Personal Health Record (PHR) application, intended to build on the “trust and reach” the app established during the pandemic.Also read: Ram Mandir trust confirms Champat Rai's resignation, says donated silver bricks, ornaments are safeThe first iteration of the app was a digital contact-tracing tool that soon ran into controversy for being ineffective and potentially full of cybersecurity risks.The new version will let users create and manage an Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), access and share digital health records, and exchange health information on a consent basis, according to the ministry. The app will also offer AI-generated health insights, draw in data from wearable devices, and allow outpatient registration and hospital payments through in-app scan features, the statement said.Additional functions listed in the release include locating nearby hospitals, doctors, ambulance services and blood banks, and accessing services under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), including hospital empanelment searches and a digital insurance wallet. The app will also carry policy details for a scheme described only as “Ayushman CAPF”. The statement did not explain this scheme’s scope but in the past, the NHA has said personnel from eight CAPF forces and their dependents are entitled to avail cashless healthcare services empanelled facilities.Also read: Muggy heat kicks Delhi's ‘feel like’ temperature to 51°C, highest this year; rainfall likely from MondayA separate, upgraded Ayushman App will serve beneficiaries of the PM-JAY scheme, the ministry said, allowing them to verify eligibility, view treatment history, locate empanelled hospitals and file grievances. Beneficiaries will also be able to reach these services through Ayushman Sarathi, a WhatsApp chatbot the statement said is intended to widen access through a conversational interface.The National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX) will standardise the exchange of claims information between hospitals and insurers, a measure the NHA said is intended to cut administrative delays.A related utility, also introduced by the NHA, will convert insurers’ health plans into a standard digital format known as FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) bundles, intended to reduce errors in claims processing.On the provider side, e-Sushrut Clinic is described in the release as a “plug-and-play” system intended to let clinics digitise records and link with the national digital health mission. The government will also launch a Drug Registry assigning standard codes to medicines, along with two data-standard initiatives developed by the NRCeS: the Common LOINC Codes for India, adapted from international laboratory data standards, and the Bharat Health Terminology Service, a shared medical vocabulary intended to help digital systems interpret health information consistently.The initiatives fall under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, the government’s broader programme to build the country’s digital health infrastructure, according to the ministry.