Gurgaon: Haryana’s health department has modified its order mandating CCTV surveillance in hospital ICUs and high dependency units (HDUs) citing the need to verify Ayushman Bharat claims after TOI’s report on privacy concerns about the move. In the modified directive, the CEO of Ayushman Bharat–Haryana health protection authority (AB-HHPA), stated that CCTV surveillance will be limited to corridors leading to HDUs and ICUs and designated entry and exit points. The order also explicitly barred cameras in ICUs, HDUs, patient rooms, bedsides and procedure areas. It further stated that any location where clinical examination, nursing care, or medical procedures are performed is strictly prohibited for CCTV installation, except where permitted by law. The clarification came amid a broader debate on privacy and dignity in critical care settings. Health experts had pointed out that ICU patients are rarely in a position to provide informed consent, and that real-time monitoring by external authorities could amount to surveillance beyond routine hospital security. The revised advisory stated the provisions align with standards set by National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH), which allow CCTV cameras only in common service areas and prohibit intrusion into treatment spaces. In NABH-accredited hospitals, patients are entitled to safe, respectful, and transparent care, including privacy and dignity, clear information about their condition and treatment, and the right to give or withhold informed consent. Doctors said the earlier directive heightened concerns because it left room for interpretation about cameras within ICUs and HDUs, despite these being clinical spaces involving vulnerable patients and intimate medical care.“The revised advisory shall be interpreted and implemented in a manner that preserves patient dignity and privacy,” the order stated. It added that the directions should not discriminate between Ayushman and non-Ayushman patients and must remain consistent with constitutional guarantees and judicial precedents.The advisory also tightened access to CCTV feeds. It stated live feed of permitted areas may be made accessible to state headquarters only, and only when specifically required for official purposes. Access must be purpose-specific, proportionate, and duly recorded, and “continuous or routine live monitoring is not intended”.The order listed limited purposes for which CCTV footage may be used — scheme monitoring, medical and claims audits, pre-authorisation scrutiny, claim processing and investigations into suspected fraud or misuse.Doctors reiterated that health data requires heightened safeguards. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 treats health-related information as sensitive personal data and mandates consent-based processing along with obligations for organisations handling such data.On retention, the authority advised hospitals to keep recordings for a reasonable period —preferably up to 30 days, in line with internal policy and legal norms — and clarified that hospitals will not be required to preserve footage indefinitely.Hospitals have also been told to implement safeguards against unauthorised access, tampering, manipulation, and misuse. They will remain responsible for addressing technical failures and documenting them for audit purposes.Doctors said the earlier directions also placed personal accountability on hospital administrators. “The medical superintendents or authorised Ayushman Bharat nodal officer of the hospital shall be personally responsible for ensuring compliance,” the order stated.The revised advisory takes effect immediately and replaces the earlier advisory issued on Jan 7.The updated wording, according to experts, is cruscial because it clearly distinguishes access monitoring from patient surveillance. “After we raised concerns, the order was modified. In critical care settings, privacy is non-negotiable. Surveillance cannot extend into treatment zones,” said former Indian Medical Association (Haryana chapter) president Dr Ajay Mahajan.“CCTV cameras inside ICU areas would have been extremely intrusive. Monitoring entry points is fine, but patients must not be recorded when they are vulnerable,” said a resident whose relative was recently admitted to an ICU in the city.Launched by the Centre in 2018, Ayushman Bharat allows eligible low-income families to access treatment — ranging from diagnostics to surgeries — up to Rs 5 lakh a year. Families with annual income below Rs 2.5 lakh, elderly persons, and other vulnerable groups can register under the scheme.Empanelled hospitals provide free treatment to beneficiaries and later submit reimbursement claims through an online portal. These claims are examined by a state agency before payments are released.Around 1,300 hospitals, including 650 private facilities, are currently empanelled under Ayushman Bharat in Haryana.
