Mayabunder, July 23, 2025 — In a concerted effort to promote digital health literacy and citizen engagement, the State Health Agency of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands conducted a series of awareness programmes on the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) in Mayabunder. The events, held on July 19 and 21, took place at the Gram Panchayat and Government Model Senior Secondary School in Pokkadera, respectively.
The sessions aimed to educate residents and students about the benefits of creating Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA), which enable individuals to securely access and manage their health records online. The ABDM initiative, launched nationwide on September 27, 2021, seeks to build a unified digital health ecosystem by integrating health facilities, professionals, and patient data.
Medical professionals from Dr. R P Hospital, Mayabunder—including Dr. Arnold Ashu (Anaesthetist) and Dr. Priyanka Iqbal (GDMO, Ayurveda)—led the orientation programmes. They explained the mission’s key components: the Health Facility Registry (HFR) and Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR), which ensure transparency and streamline digital services such as e-hospital records and tele-consultations.
The outreach is part of a broader campaign by the National Health Authority (NHA) to boost adoption of ABHA across India. As of December 2024, over 71 crore ABHA IDs had been created, with more than 45 crore health records digitally linked.
Local officials emphasized the importance of digital health access in remote regions like North & Middle Andaman, where connectivity and infrastructure challenges persist. The programmes also included demonstrations on ABHA registration and usage, encouraging participants to embrace digital tools for better healthcare delivery.
The State Health Agency plans to continue similar initiatives across other blocks to ensure inclusive participation in the national digital health movement.
