Rajasthan MAA scheme photo rule comes into effect from September 30, requiring private hospitals under the Mukhyamantri Ayushman Arogya Yojana to upload geo-tagged photographs of ICU patients and their treating doctors every eight hours.
The new requirement has been issued by the Rajasthan State Health Assurance Agency.
The photographs must be uploaded on the MAA scheme portal for patients receiving treatment in intensive care units at private hospitals.
Rajasthan MAA scheme photo rule explained
Under the new arrangement, the photograph must clearly show the patient, the treating doctor, the patient’s bed and the monitor installed behind the bed.
The monitor should visibly display details such as the patient’s pulse rate and oxygen level.
The photograph must also be geo-tagged before being uploaded to the portal. The requirement has been linked to transaction IDs generated by private hospitals under the scheme.
The rule also covers certain patients receiving day-care treatment.
These include cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, kidney patients receiving dialysis and patients undergoing day-care treatment for neurological conditions.
For such cases, photographs of the patient and treating doctor will also have to be geo-tagged and uploaded to the MAA scheme portal.
Private hospitals raise objections
The new monitoring requirement has faced opposition from private hospitals and doctors’ representatives in Rajasthan.
The Rajasthan private hospitals and doctors’ association has described the arrangement as impractical.
Association president Dr Vijay Kapoor said the requirement would effectively require senior doctors to establish their presence with admitted patients every eight hours.
He also argued that the system could indirectly create an expectation of round-the-clock availability from doctors.
The association has said that proper patient treatment and accountability are necessary, but it has raised concerns about the practical impact of requiring doctors to repeatedly appear in photographs with patients.
Association plans formal representation
According to the report, the association plans to submit a formal representation to the concerned authorities and seek withdrawal of the order.
It has indicated that it will give the authorities one week to take appropriate action.
If the issue is not resolved within the specified period, the association has said it may approach the competent court by filing a writ petition.
The Rajasthan MAA scheme photo rule is therefore set to bring a new digital monitoring requirement for private hospitals handling ICU and specified day-care patients, while its implementation has also triggered concerns among doctors and private healthcare providers.
