Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said an open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem will be rolled out.

It will consist of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity and universal access to health facilities, the finance minister said while presenting the Budget for 2022-23.

The Covid-19 pandemic, which devastated lives and livelihoods, shut down businesses, and dislocated work and workplaces, also changed the scenario of the Indian healthcare industry. The lack of access to quality healthcare, a patient-centric approach, and assurance of desired clinical outcomes was more pronounced during the first and second waves of the pandemic in India.

At the peak of the pandemic, many were unable to get support like hospital beds, medical equipment, oxygen, doctor-consultations, and so on, even when they had subscribed to medical insurance or healthcare packages from the hospitals and insurance companies.