Payments to patients: India tries to replicate BHIM UPI success in healthcare

Developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), the SaaS-based digital platform—eSushrut@Clinic—is a "Lite" alternative to the often bulky and expensive hospital information management systems (HIMS) currently in the market, and is aimed at bridging digital divide in Indian healthcare, the two officials cited earlier said on the condition of anonymity.

With comparisons being drawn to BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) UPI (Unified Payments Interface), one of the most useful features is the built-in “Smart Assistant”. Its Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) helps doctors manage chronic conditions by offering clear, evidence-based treatment guidance.

“The platform allows doctors to digitize records and streamline consultations, improving care continuity without replacing human expertise,” said the first of the two officials cited earlier.

The new e-platform serves as a government-backed, reliable entry point for small-scale doctors to join the national digital health ecosystem, much like what the BHIM app did for digital payments. It is designed as a simplified, low-cost digital management tool for smaller clinics and for doctors who find traditional hospital systems too complex, allowing them to manage daily operations through a simple web browser.

“This is a government-promoted software available for both the private and government sectors. It is just like BHIM in UPI…Just as BHIM provided a reliable, government-backed entry point for digital payments, eSushrut@Clinic serves as the digital highway for clinics to join the national health ecosystem,” said the second official.

The development assumes importance for India’s small and mid-sized medical facilities that account for around 90% of India’s two million hospital beds. It will also help digitize India’s 70,000 hospital network, of which over 43,000 are private facilities largely comprising small and medium-sized clinics.

The digital platform supports core clinical and administrative workflows, including patient registration, appointment scheduling, OPD management, dashboards, and user management. A cloud-based service, clinics can begin using it without investing in heavy technical infrastructure.

Ankit Modi, founding member and chief strategy and growth officer at Qure.ai, an AI-led health-tech organization focused on automated medical imaging interpretation, said that platform's launch marks an important step in taking digital health beyond large hospitals. “When clinics at the last mile can create and verify ABHA IDs and access patient histories through consent, continuity of care becomes far more practical. Patient records are no longer tied to a single clinic, and doctors are better informed during consultations.”

This comes in the backdrop of India’s growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes, which now account for over 60% of all deaths in the country, necessitating more structured long-term patient tracking.

Queries emailed to the spokespersons of NHA and Union health and family welfare ministry on 20 February remained unanswered till press time.

India has over 500 million unique UPI users, with monthly transactions reaching a record 21.70 billion in volume and ₹28.33 trillion in value as of January 2026, according to the latest government data from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

According to a 9 February communication from the NHA to states and Union territories, the apex health authority highlighted that many government facilities at the sub-centre, primary health centre (PHC) and community health centre (CHC) levels are still not using an ABDM-enabled digital health solution. By offering a secure, scalable platform that supports consent-based health record sharing, the NHA aims to bring these frontline centres into its fold.

ABDM is a national initiative aimed at developing the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of India, bridging the gap among different stakeholders of the healthcare ecosystem.

“Currently many of the government facilities at sub-centres/PHC/CHC level are not using any ABDM-enabled solution,” the letter stated, adding that the government is encouraging comprehensive training and technical support to ensure a smooth transition for both private practitioners and rural government centers.

Public health experts say digital health is about more than just moving paper records to a screen.

“The major advantages include operational excellence, better ROI (return on investment), and improved patient experiences. Integrated systems can lead to 50% better utilization of operation theaters and a significant reduction in hospital-acquired infections,” said Dr. Sanjeev Bagai, chairman of Nephron Clinics in New Delhi, a kidney care specialist and pediatric nephrologist.

Dr. Bagai added that having everything integrated on "one motherboard" via an unique patient number allows for smarter access to rarer clinical conditions and more accurate treatment results.

India has over 30,000 primary health centres, and approximately 6,000 community health centres which serve as the primary point of contact for the rural population.

“The eSushrut system is fully ABDM-enabled and compliant, adhering strictly to the national Health Data Management Policy to ensure the highest standards of patient privacy. Given that the platform is integrated with the ABDM, it has undergone rigorous security audits conducted by empaneled agencies to verify its safety protocols," the second official cited earlier said. "The system provides a guaranteed minimum level of security for all sensitive information, including doctor prescriptions and patient records, even as it is utilized by multiple small and medium-sized hospitals. By following these standardized ABDM features, the government ensures that healthcare data remains secure and protected within a robust digital framework.”