National Health Authority
| राष्ट्रीय स्वास्थ्य प्राधिकरण | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2 January 2019 |
| Preceding Agency |
|
| Jurisdiction | Government of India |
| Headquarters | New Delhi |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent Agency | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare |
| Website | nha.gov.in |
The National Health Authority or the NHA is responsible for implementing India’s flagship public health insurance/assurance scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). NHA has been set-up to implement the PM-JAY at the national level. In the States, SHAs or State Health Agencies in the form of a society/trust have been set up with full operational autonomy over the implementation of this scheme including extending the coverage to non SECC beneficiaries.
History
[edit]National Health Authority is the successor of National Health Agency, which was functioning as a registered society since 23 May 2018. Pursuant to Cabinet decision for full functional autonomy, National Health Agency was reconstituted as the National Health Authority on 2 January 2019, under Gazette Notification Registered No. DL –(N) 04/0007/2003-18.[1][2] On 2 January 2019 the organization renamed itself to become the "National Health Authority".[1][2] The reason for the rename was the Union Council of Ministers wish for the organization to be autonomous.[1][2]
Governing Board
[edit]The NHA is governed by a Governing Board chaired by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; and is headed by a full-time Chief Executive Officer (CEO) supported by Deputy CEO and Executive Directors. The CEO of the NHA functions as the Member Secretary of the Governing Board.
The Governing Board comprises Chairperson and 11 members.
Succeeding Indu Bhushan on 1 February 2021, Former TRAI chairman Ram Sevak Sharma became CEO of the NHA for 2 years until January 31, 2023.[3] He was succeeded as CEO by Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, a 1993 batch IAS officer from the MP cadre.[4]
Functions of NHA
[edit]From 2018-19, the organization was under the control of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.[5] After 2019, the organization became independent and answerable to its own board of experts and policy makers.[5] The organization's primary activity is to manage the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), which is a national health insurance program in India.[5] Other goals include improving access to health information and data for the public sector and supporting the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority.[5] NHA also oversees the development and adoption of ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account), previously called Health ID. This program aims to establish a digital health identity for Indian citizens.[6]
In October 2019, the organization announced a collaboration with Google.[7] In the collaboration, Google will provide digital training to staff and partners, while the organization will seek to increase public access to data.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c India Today Web Desk (3 January 2019). "Cabinet to replace National Health Agency with National Health Authority". India Today.
- ^ a b c Sharma, Neetu Chandra (2 January 2019). "Cabinet approved restructuring of National Health Agency as "National Health Authority"". Livemint.
- ^ www.ETGovernment.com. "R S Sharma to be new CEO of National Health Authority - ET Government". ETGovernment.com. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
- ^ www.financialexpress.com. "Deepti Gaur Mukerjee becomes new CEO of National Health Authority". Financial Express. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
- ^ a b c d Wangchuk, Rinchen Norbu (3 January 2019). "India Forms National Health Authority To Replace Existing Body: 5 Facts to Know!". The Better India.
- ^ "Ayushman Bharat: ABHA Health ID cards to be available on Google Wallet from 2025. Check details". Business Today. 2024-10-03. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
- ^ a b IANS (5 October 2019). "National Health Authority and Google Tie up for Ayushman Bharat Implementation". News18.