VIJAYAWADA: All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS), Mangalagiri, has introduced the ‘AIIMS Mangalagiri Smart Card and E-Payment’ system, facilitating real-time patient transactions for care services.
This initiative, designed after AIIMS Delhi, required the public to purchase the card for Rs 100, with a recharge limit of up to Rs 5 lakh.
The Smart Card and E-Payment system is expected to receive a huge response from patients.
Speaking with TNIE, Director of AIIMS-Mangalagiri, Dr Madhabananda Kar, described the smart card as a secure, user-friendly pre-loaded card available for purchase at the cash counter using cash or various online payment methods such as UPI, debit/credit card, or net banking. The card can be used at all patient care service billing counters, making AIIMS-Mangalagiri the second institute in India to offer this facility, aimed at reducing delays in cash payments.
In addition to this digital initiative, AIIMS Mangalagiri has launched several new services as part of their patient care expansion.
These include the Jan Aushadhi Kendra, a Critical Care Unit, a second MRI & Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) Lab, a Control Room, and a Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD). These services were inaugurated by Apurva Chandra, Secretary of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, during his visit to AIIMS Mangalagiri.
The Jan Aushadhi Kendra provides quality generic medicines at affordable costs for the benefit of patients. A state-of-the-art 20-bed Critical Care Unit equipped with advanced medical equipment has also been opened to enhance critical care services. To reduce patient waiting times for MRI scans, a second 3 Tesla MRI machine has been installed, along with a DSA lab for minimally invasive interventional radiology procedures.
The new 24/7 Control Room has been established to address all patient grievances and coordinate patient care issues across the hospital. Additionally, a modern 10,000 sq. ft. Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD) has been inaugurated to manage the cleaning, processing, and sterilisation of surgical instruments, treatment trays and sets, dressings, linen, and rubber goods for all operating theatres, ICUs, and treatment rooms at AIIMS.
Dr Madhabananda Kar emphasised plans to expand the hospital’s capacity from 500 to 960 beds, with support from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. However, he noted that the drinking water supply issue must be resolved before this expansion can proceed. Discussions with Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu regarding this issue have been positive. Once resolved, and with the recruitment of faculty and staff complete, the hospital will prioritise bed capacity enhancement and other initiatives.