Government plans unique health IDs linked to Aadhaar info

Government plans unique health IDs linked to Aadhaar info

• By Staff Writer

Government plans unique health IDs linked to Aadhaar info

BENGALURU: If a Covid-19 vaccine seeker provides his/her Aadhaar as identity proof to be inoculated, the government will immediately generate a unique health identity (UHID) for the individual. Eyeing an opportunity, authorities plan to use the immunization programme to generate unique digital health IDs for citizens.

However, the plan flies in the face of rules drawn up to vaccinate healthcare workers. The government has expressly stated that using Aadhaar as id proof could have “legal implications.”

Providing Aadhaar is not mandatory to receive the vaccine — any government-issued ID will be accepted. “The objective is to have digital health documentation of all citizens. However, this is optional,” said officials of the health department.

Using the unique identification number could have another collision too as, during the dry run, a remarkable delay was noticed when authorities attempted to generate health IDs of beneficiaries based on Aadhaar. “This has been brought to the notice of the central government,” said Pankaj Kumar Pandey, health commissioner. Asked why UHID was being linked to the vaccination drive, officials said it was a central government decision.

“The vaccination drive is the perfect chance to generate IDs since most individuals will be vaccinated,” Pandey said. “UHID is required for seamless movement of people from one state to another seeking treatment. It is digital proof of one’s health.”

Once a UHID is generated, a person’s health records are digitally maintained in hospitals and become a part of government records.

However, Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes’ Associations says the government has not listed Aadhaar as a photo ID proof when healthcare workers were asked to provide their data for the vaccine.

“Healthcare workers in the private sector have not provided their Aadhaar when drawing up the database as the government clearly said the document was not to be used for the purpose,” said Dr HM Prasanna, president, PHANA. “We had no clue that the government was planning to generate UHIDs.”

Under the ‘frequently asked questions’ on registration of healthcare workers for Covid vaccination programme on covid19.karnataka.gov.in, a governmentrun portal, it clearly states Aadhaar card is not to be used as id proof. It read: “Never take Aadhaar details into the excel sheet. It has legal implications. Hence it is not listed in the Photo ID drop down menu.”

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