NHA hosts two-day Chintan Shivir in Bhubaneswar to strengthen AB PM-JAY and ABDM

The National Health Authority (NHA) on Monday concluded a two-day Chintan Shivir on Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) in Bhubaneswar, aimed at strengthening inclusive healthcare delivery through innovation, digital integration and best practices.

Inaugurating the event, OdishaHealth and Family Welfare and IT Minister Mukesh Mahaling said that ensuring quality healthcare for all remains a top priority of the government as India advances towards the vision of a ‘Swasth Bharat, Sashakt Bharat’. He highlighted Odisha’s strong performance in AB PM-JAY implementation, particularly in PM-JAY card distribution and the expansion of cashless healthcare services, and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to scaling up ABDM through focused adoption strategies.

Dr Mahaling also visited the NHA exhibition stall, where he experienced a virtual reality walkthrough showcasing the patient journey in an ABDM-enabled hospital and other digital health innovations.

NHA Chief Executive Officer Dr Sunil Kumar Barnwal, in his opening remarks, underscored the strength of India’s national health IT platform, which enables multiple health schemes to operate on common standards while allowing states the flexibility to customise service delivery. He said the Chintan Shivir provided a platform for states to exchange knowledge, share best practices and address implementation challenges related to AB PM-JAY and ABDM.

Dr Barnwal noted that Odisha is committed to large-scale implementation of ABDM to build a robust digital health infrastructure integrating public and private hospitals, enabling generation of digital health records and ensuring seamless, patient-centric care.

During the event, NHA exchanged Memoranda of Understanding with Bhashini, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and NABH-QCI to promote multilingual access to digital health services, advance AI-driven health innovations and strengthen quality and accreditation standards. NHA also launched the Health Benefit Package (HBP) Manual–Part 2 and the Best Practices Compendium under AB PM-JAY.

The first day of the Chintan Shivir saw participation from representatives of nearly 30 states and Union Territories. Key discussions focused on digital tools and initiatives such as the Ayushman App, auto-adjudication, e-Sushrut@Clinic, Aarogya Setu, revised DHIS guidelines, onboarding of pharmacists on the Health Professional Registry, ABDM implementation in PM-JAY empanelled hospitals and the functioning of the National Anti-Fraud Unit.

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Day two featured detailed deliberations on AI-driven use cases, IT upgradation under AB PM-JAY, rationalisation of health benefit packages, IEC strategies, capacity building through the NHA Digital Academy and the role of artificial intelligence in transforming healthcare delivery.

Senior officials noted the significant progress made under AB PM-JAY since its launch in 2018, driven by transparency, efficiency and accessibility enabled through digital and technology-led initiatives under ABDM.

Senior dignitaries including Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg, senior health officials from Odisha, Rajasthan, Meghalaya and NHA, along with representatives from the Union Health Ministry and state health authorities, participated in the sessions and shared their perspectives on the roadmap for strengthening India’s healthcare ecosystem.

The Chintan Shivir reaffirmed NHA’s commitment to collaborative, technology-driven efforts to build an accessible, inclusive and citizen-centric healthcare system in line with the vision of a Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat.