What is ABHA / ABDM, and do I need it to visit a clinic in Delhi?
ABDM is India’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, run by the National Health Authority. ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) is a health ID you can create if you want records shared digitally across participating providers. Official detail lives at abdm.gov.in. You do not need an ABHA number just to walk into a Delhi clinic, and creating one does not give PatientSaathi your records.
The names, without the jargon
- ABDM is the national digital-health network (IDs, consent, and participating hospitals, labs, and apps).
- ABHA is your ID inside that network. NHA’s public material says you can create one if you want your records available digitally, through channels such as abha.abdm.gov.in or a participating provider.
- A health locker in the ABDM sense is a registered place for copies of records, shared with your consent. That is a separate page: What is a health locker, and what is it not?.
PatientSaathi is not ABDM, not NHA, and not a live locker. This site does not store reports and does not issue ABHA numbers.
Do I need ABHA for a first clinic visit in Delhi?
Usually no. Reception will still ask for photo ID, a phone number, and any old papers you have. Some facilities may offer to create or link an ABHA at the counter. That is their process, not a PatientSaathi step. If they treat it as optional, you can still be seen with the usual file.
We will not say every Delhi clinic requires it. If a counter tells you otherwise, that is that facility’s rule. For current official rules, use abdm.gov.in.
What creating an ABHA does not do
- It does not upload your files to PatientSaathi.
- It does not book a doctor here, or start Ask Sathi (Ask Sathi is a demo and does not read records).
- It does not replace the hospital’s own file. Many records stay with the hospital or lab that created them unless that provider is participating and you consent to share.
If you want a callback when PatientSaathi’s own record tools are live, register interest on the homepage. That form is not an ABHA signup.
Official source
ABDM and ABHA are run by the National Health Authority. Official rules and apps are at abdm.gov.in. You do not need an ABHA number for a normal Delhi clinic visit. Creating one does not upload your files to PatientSaathi.
People also ask
- What is a health locker, and what is it not?
- How do I keep lab PDFs and prescriptions in one place?
- How do I get my medical records from a Delhi hospital?
- What should I carry to a first clinic visit in Delhi?
Not a doctor. This page is health-admin information for people in Delhi. It is not a diagnosis, a prescription, or a care plan. PatientSaathi does not store your records, does not issue ABHA numbers, and does not book doctors on this site. If you feel unwell, talk to a licensed doctor. For a medical emergency in India, contact 112.