Gujarat is set to give every child in the state a personal 'health passport' that will carry their complete medical history from birth to the age of 18 in a single document. The passport will record a child's health checkups, nutrition status and details of various illnesses, with the state government aiming to make child healthcare more organised, modern and easier for families to track.
Amit Shah launched the programme
The initiative has been rolled out under the School Health-Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, or SH-RBSK. The statewide programme was launched on June 27, 2026, by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The government has described the scheme as an important step towards advancing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Swasth Bachpan, Swasth Bharat'.
1.89 crore children to be screened every year through 992 mobile teams
Around 1.89 crore children between 0 and 18 years will be screened for health issues in Gujarat every year. To carry out this exercise, 992 mobile health teams have been deployed across the state. These teams will visit anganwadis, schools, madrasas, gurukuls and special schools to conduct the health checkups. Until now, records of these screenings existed only on a digital portal, leaving parents without any easy physical document containing their child's health information. The new health passport is meant to fix this gap by putting a child's entire health record in one place.
A simple process with no extra paperwork for parents
The government has kept the process of obtaining the health passport straightforward, and parents will not need to submit any additional documents. Once the mobile health team completes a child's checkup and enters the data on the digital platform, the health passport will be handed over to the family on the spot.
The passport will be renewed every year
The health passport will also be updated annually. For children up to 5 years of age and those who do not attend school, the renewal will be carried out by the medical officer at the Primary Health Centre, or PHC. For children who attend school, the renewal will be handled by the principal of the respective school.
One document to hold a child's entire health journey
The health passport will capture a child's complete health journey from birth to the age of 18. Besides basic details like the child's name and age, it will contain a record of every age-appropriate health checkup conducted. It will also include full details of the four major categories identified under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, known as the 4D categories: birth defects, diseases, nutritional deficiencies, and developmental delays or disabilities. In addition, the document will record the child's physical and mental growth, nutrition levels, referral service history, health and nutrition advice, guidance on a healthy lifestyle, and emergency helpline numbers.
Linked to a digital portal, with an easy replacement if lost
A key feature of the scheme is that while parents will hold a physical copy of the health passport, its complete record will remain linked to the SH-RBSK digital portal. If the passport is ever lost or damaged, a new one can be easily obtained through the mobile health team. The state government has said the goal of the initiative goes beyond simply creating medical records, it is also meant to make parents active participants in their children's healthcare.
