Hacking into the National Health Authority (NHA) system will now become more difficult, as the application process, manufacturing process, and processing time of Ayushman cards will be closely monitored.
For this, the State Agency for Comprehensive Health and Integrated Services (SACHIS) has written to NHA officials, requesting that these new security features be added to the software.
Recently, more than 450 Ayushman cards were created by hacking the IDs of SACHIS officials in Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Uttarakhand.
These fake cards were then used to obtain treatment at nursing homes, as well as major institutions like KGMU, PGI, AIIMS Delhi, and the Lohia Institute.
Action Taken After Fraud Detection
When the fraud came to light, all Ayushman cards created using suspicious IDs were cancelled, and hospital payment claims were stopped.
After the police FIR, SACHIS officials reviewed the entire card creation process and found several loopholes at different levels.
To fix these issues, SACHIS has written to the National Health Authority (NHA)
and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). SACHIS CEO Archana Verma suggested updating the software to capture the latitude
and longitude of the location where the card application, approval, and payment processes are carried out.
With this update, the system will be able to immediately detect the location of any fraudulent activity.
By tracking the IP address and location, fraud attempts can be blocked instantly, and security agencies can be alerted without delay.
The State Anti-Fraud Unit (SAFU) has also been informed.
Steps to Prevent Fake Ayushman Cards
More than 12,000 Ayushman cards are issued daily in the state. Out of these, nearly 20% are approved only after verifying the information and conducting physical checks.
Efforts are also being made to update the software with biometric information recorded in Aadhaar. Once implemented, this will help prevent the creation of fake Ayushman cards.
