UMID - Indian Railways is a free-to-download business app intended for the employees of the Indian Railways (IR). Developed by Digital Indian Railways, the app is an initiative of the government body to fully digitize the distribution of UMIDs or Unique Medical Identity Cards to all eligible beneficiaries.

Access to health services across India is made easy thanks to UMID - Indian Railways. With this tool, IR employees, pensioners, and dependents can avail of their medical benefits without a physical card wherever they are located in India. Railways HMIS is a similar initiative undertaken together with RailTel Corporation of India Ltd.

Cardless transactions

The idea of UMID - Indian Railways is to facilitate the smooth registration and distribution of UMID for all beneficiaries of IR’s health and medical services. It aims to do away with physical cards and provide beneficiaries with universal access to healthcare across India. This means that once you have successfully registered and received your unique identification number, you can avail of your benefits right away.

The app uses a centralized database at all levels of healthcare units in the country, which not only reduces operational costs but also ensures data integrity. A built-in validation mechanism restricts access for ineligible patients. In addition to the easy sign-up process, the platform allows you to update your information, generate outpatient department (OPD) slips, streamline bill payments, and more in a paperless and convenient way.

As expected, biometrics and web-enabled QR codes are some of the smart features that come with the app. The integration of these features makes for a simpler and more efficient process. With fewer screen gestures, you can get done whatever you need on the platform. Still, the app is far from ideal. Its user interface is poorly designed and does not subscribe to modern standards.

Needs further optimization

All in all, UMID - Indian Railways is a convenient and helpful platform that enables IR employees, dependents, and retirees to take advantage of their medical and health benefits. It includes smart features for the smooth and fully digitized release of UMID and other procedures. However, despite its lofty goals, the health app fails to take into consideration the importance of a highly optimized user interface. An overhaul is needed.