Bihar Leads in Paperless Hospital Registrations, Over 91% Patients Use Digital OPD System

Data from the state health department, validated by the Union health ministry, shows that Bihar now ranks highest among all states regarding paperless hospital registrations.

Over 91% of patients visiting government hospitals in Bihar used a QR code-based digital system to share their demographic information and health records before consulting a doctor in May, as revealed by Bihar State Government and Union Health Ministry reports.

This system, known as Scan and Share, is part of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), launched in 2021. It aims to reduce queues and address incomplete or inaccurate patient data at registration.

According to state health officials, usage of this feature was only 4% in April 2024. The significant increase in adoption followed a strategic decision by Bihar’s health administrators to integrate the Centre’s ABDM platform with the Mukhyamantri Digital Health Yojana (MDHY), enabling a more seamless hospital experience and quicker access to care.

Data from the state health department, validated by the Union health ministry, shows that Bihar now ranks highest among all states regarding paperless hospital registrations.

“This adoption has reduced waiting time for the majority of the patients in the hospitals and enabled us to provide a more organised and transparent healthcare experience to them,” said Rajesh Kumar, administrative officer of the Bihar Health Society, who oversees the project.

In August 2023, the average patient waiting time before meeting a doctor was 58 minutes, with the total hospital visit time averaging 70 minutes.

According to official data, these figures had dropped to 35 minutes and 47 minutes, respectively, by May 2025.

All 592 government health facilities in the state now offer digital OPD registration, allowing patients to create an Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA). This generates a unique health ID that stores their electronic health record (EHR), a central feature of ABDM.

The system also maintains databases of healthcare workers and health institutions via the Health Personnel Record and Health Facility Record.

According to the state’s statistics, the average time for first patient registration also improved, shifting from 8:41 am in August 2023 to 8:31 am in May 2025, reflecting enhanced punctuality.

National Health Authority (NHA) data shows that of the 11.41 crore total OPD registrations since ABDM’s launch, Bihar accounts for 2.95 crore, ahead of Uttar Pradesh’s 2.26 crore.

The digital rollout in Bihar is supported by BHAVYA (Bihar Health Application Visionary Yojana for All), which was introduced under MDHY.

This initiative digitises hospital workflows, tracks patient journeys, and aids real-time policy decisions using health data, acting as the state's health information management system for ABDM implementation.

Officials noted that this visibility has improved administrative efficiency and the ability to monitor on-ground service delivery, including doctor availability in remote primary health centres.

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