A Guide to Download and Use Arogya Setu App
The COVID-19 global pandemic has thrown up various challenges. Managing the crisis situation was the topmost priority for any government. The government of India had to take many key steps to effectively manage the pandemic crisis. Creating awareness of the disease, precautionary measures to take, risk analysis, and managing the affected people was the key focus which was done excellently through a mobile application. This mobile application developed by the Ministry of Electronics and IT to combat the global pandemic is named as Arogya Setu App. Let’s know more about Arogya Setu App.
Arogya Setu App
Arogya Setu App is a National Health app available for use on both android (Google play) and iOS (Apple app store) phones. Along with the English language, the Arogya Setu app is available for use in 10 other Indian languages. The Arogya Setu app was designed to spread awareness about COVID-19 among the public, track health, and provide COVID-19-related health services and vaccination management. Arogya Setu is a one-stop solution for all COVID-19-related issues. The app is developed with a public-private partnership to create awareness, inform on best practices to follow, and provide the necessary help to COVID-19-affected citizens. Let’s understand the key features of the Arogya Setu app to understand more.
Key Features of the Arogya Setu App
The following are the key features of the Arogya Setu App:
- The Arogya Setu app keeps you informed if you cross the path with anyone who has contracted the COVID-19 virus. Tracking is done through bluetooth and a location social graph.
- Arogya Setu app provides you instructions on safety measures, how to self-isolate, and identify the symptoms that may require medical support.
- The app allows you to take a self-assessment test (as per ICMR guidelines) to know your risk level.
- Updates you with nationwide statistics on COVID-19.
- You can register for COVID-19 vaccination and also download your vaccination certificates.
- Apart from COVID-19 updates, the Arogya Setu app also helps you find healthcare services near to you and allows you to book online consultations and counselling, etc.
- Provides emergency helpline services.
How to Download and Register for the Arogya Setu App?
The following are the steps to be followed to download and register for Arogya Setu App:
- Go to Google Play/Apple App Store on your smartphone to download and install the Arogya Setu App.
- Once you download and install the Arogya Setu app, select the language of your convenience to proceed.
- Click on the ‘Register Now’ option.
- The Arogya Setu app would ask you for certain permission. Read the terms and conditions carefully and click on ‘I agree to provide your permission to the app.
- Provide your mobile number on which the one-time password (OTP) will be sent.
- Enter the OTP received for verification and submit it.
- Providing your details would be the next step. You need to provide information such as your name, age, gender, occupation, last 30 days’ travel history, etc. You can also tick mark the option – ‘Ready to volunteer in the time of need’ (This is optional) and then submit your information.
- That completes your registration process for the Arogya Setu app. You would be taken back to the home page, wherein you can find the statistics and various details related to COVID-19. This includes knowing your risk level, safety measures, details of help centres, number of cases around, vaccination availability, and taking a self-assessment test.
How Can You Use the Arogya Setu App?
Arogya Setu is an extremely useful and must-have National Health app. It has many features. Let’s see how you can use some of the key features of the app:
- Self-assessment Test: You need to answer the questions correctly regarding the symptoms, health conditions, travel, etc., to assess your risk of contracting COVID-19.
- Healthcare Services Information: You can know the healthcare services near you, such as blood camps, ICMR-approved labs, hospitals, and blood banks near you. You can also avail of teleconsultation using the app. Other services that you can avail yourself of using the helpline includes COVID-19 counselling, mental health helpline, and child or senior citizen helpline.
- Vaccination: You can book your vaccination appointments and also can download vaccination certificates on the app if you are already vaccinated.
- Ayushman Bharat Health Account: You can create your Ayushman Bharat Health Account using the Arogya Setu app. ABHA is a digital health record that gives you digital access to all your medical information, such as prescriptions, diagnostic test results, reports, etc. It helps you in your digital health journey and to utilise the health insurance coverage offered under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance plan.
- eSanjeevani Service: This is a free telemedicine service provided by the government of India to its citizens. The facility is integrated with the government’s largest health insurance initiative, Ayushman Bharat Yojana. Telemedicine through audio or video consultation can be availed from any of the health and wellness centres set up under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
- COVID-19 Updates: You can get the COVID-19 statistics update across the country along with the information on safety/precautionary measures to take and the guidelines to follow.
In the crucial time of a global pandemic, all citizens need to stay updated and connected to health care services. The Arogya Setu app is specifically designed to provide support to the public with all the necessary information and guidelines to help in combating the pandemic. By allowing you to assess the risk, know your status and provide you with a platform to avail all the related health care services, the Arogya Setu app has helped immensely to fight the pandemic effectively.
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The information that you provide at the time of registration into the Aarogya Setu app would be used by the government for the purpose of COVID-19 management and to notify you of any information regarding COVID-19. This includes the usage of your personal information only for generating reports based on aggregated datasets or for any statistical visualisations. Hence, the privacy of your data is ensured, and the app is safe.
Yes. The Aarogya Setu app continuously collects the data and stores the collected information on your phone device. Only if you test COVID-19 positive, the information would be uploaded to the server, which would further help in contact tracing.
When two registered users of the Arogya Setu app come within each other’s bluetooth range, unique digital IDs and the GPS location of the users would get exchanged in the apps. The app stores the exchanged information of the users. If any of the users test COVID-19 positive, the information would get collected by the government, which makes it easy to do contact tracing and understand the individuals who are at risk.
The personal information provided by you at the time of registration into the Aarogya Setu stays till your account exists. The other information that is collected by the app on a regular basis gets stored on your mobile device for up to 30 days. In case you have tested positive for COVID-19, the information collected by the app that gets uploaded to the server would stay for 60 days after you have been cured of COVID-19 infection.
If you get tested positive for COVID-19, the information stored on your mobile device will get uploaded to the server. The government would use the last 14 days of your information, which includes places you have visited, individuals you have come in contact with, etc., for contact tracing and to manage COVID-19.