EXLCUSIVE: 2,403 “Digital Doctor” Certificates issued in Udupi district since 2021 

Prakash Samaga 

Coastal Talk News | Udupi 

Walk into a clinic, hospital or doctor’s chamber these days, and a new digital identity is becoming part of the healthcare sector. Behind these certificates lies a larger shift towards verified doctors, digital records and technology-driven healthcare system. As many as 2,403 “Digital Doctor” Certificates have been issued in Udupi district under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), according to information given by the National Health Authority. 

Three certificates were issued in 2021, followed by 719 in 2022. The number peaked at 960 in 2023. 583 Digital Doctor Certificates were issued in 2024, 136 in 2025 and two in 2026 in Udupi district. Of the Digital Doctors registered in Udupi district, 1,989 are from the private sector and 414 from the government sector. Sources informed that 698 Digital Doctor Certificates have been issued to Ayurveda practitioners in the district. 

Dr. Chidananda Sanju, a senior doctor from Udupi, told Coastal Talk News that the ABDM is aimed at creating a digital health ecosystem in which an individual's health records can be stored electronically. Under the system, every patient can obtain a unique Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID, he said. “With the patient’s consent, the treating doctor can access the individual’s health records for providing treatment anywhere in India” he explained. He added that healthcare facilities and doctors need to register with the digital health ecosystem for it to function effectively. 

Dr. Ashwini Kumar, Professor and Head of the Department of Community Medicine at KMC, Manipal, said the Digital Doctor Certificate helps verify the qualifications and credentials of practicing doctors and can play a role in curbing quackery. He further said the system would also help secure patients’ health documents in the digital environment. According to the NHA, private medical professionals registered with the Health Professional Registry (HPR) are verified through their respective State Medical Councils, while government doctors are verified by the state government authority. Only after the successful verification, a “Digital Doctor” certificate is issued, sources informed.