Digitisation is now extending to almost every sector of governance and it’s extension to health sector in a challenging scenario has generated a lot interest among the people even in the inaccessible remote areas of Jammu & Kashmir. While the digitisation of the personal records of the people has eased the accessibility of people to basic social services, the tendencies of the people to avail more and more facilities through digital platforms are rising day after day and month after months. While increasing innovations in digitisation are simplifying the procedures and practices in both working of the government and as well as the operation of business activities in Jammu & Kashmir like people of several other states and union territories of the country, the digitisation is yet to reach almost half of the rural population in remote inaccessible areas of Jammu & Kashmir and as such an urban-rural divide in the access of people to all the digital platforms is very much visible in Jammu & Kashmir. Since the stronger intensities of covid-19 pandemic after two successive covid lockdowns in last two years have unprecedentedly increased concerns of people on health safety in a challenging health scenario where lives of people have become vulnerable to threats of deadly covid-19 pandemic spread, the accessibility of people to Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission even in the remotest of the remote areas has assumed paramount significance and importance in Jammu & Kashmir. Since it has been observed during last two years of covid-19 pandemic scare that people in most of the remote areas of Jammu & Kashmir don’t have as much hassle free accessibility to digital platforms as is being availed by urban populations in Jammu & Kashmir, the extension of digital facilities to people in remote areas to help them avail the health facilities under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission in both government and private hospital;s has become both imperative and as well as unavoidable.
As complaints of non compliance to free medical treatment upto Rs 5 lakhs on “ golden card” are not contested even by the competent authorities of both government and private hospitals, the procedures and practices of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission should be eased for the purposes of hassle free facility of free treatment to golden card holders in both government and private hospitals in Jammu & Kashmir.
Since the accessibility of people of all categories and all areas including those of inaccessible remote areas to health facilities under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is a new beginning in the delivery of healthcare services, the extension of digital facilities to people of the remote inaccessible areas and their expansion in such areas would most likely intensify the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission in these areas of Jammu & Kashmir. As complaints of non compliance to free medical treatment upto Rs 5 lakhs on “ golden card” are not contested even by the competent authorities of both government and private hospitals, the procedures and practices of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission should be eased for the purposes of hassle free facility of free treatment to golden card holders in both government and private hospitals in Jammu & Kashmir.
