New Delhi: In a bid to improve patient convenience, the premier health institute, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi has decided to adopt 100 per cent digital payments as no cash payment shall be accepted at any counters other than at the 'AIIMS Smart Card' top-up counters from April 1.
The AIIMS Smart Card started on a pilot basis in some departments of the premier health institute would be rolled out across all sections by March 31 for enabling all kinds of payments, the AIIMS Delhi said on Wednesday.
Subsequently, no cash payment shall be accepted at any counters other than at the 'AIIMS Smart Card' top-up counters which shall be operationalised in multiple locations and shall operate on 24x7 basis, it said.
The AIIMS Smart Card will be the only way to make payments for all investigations and procedures other than electronic payments via UPI, debit cards, credit cards, etc, the AIIMS said.
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In the order, its Director Dr M Srinivas referred to an office memorandum issued on November 17, 2022, advising that 'AIIMS Smart Card' facility for patients and attendants be started with effect from April 15, 2023 in collaboration with SBI Bank.
This was done to move to digital payments mode and to improve patient convenience so that they don't have to stand in queues for making payments for various investigations and procedures or for getting snacks/food in cafeteria etc, the order stated.
A recent news report has highlighted that at another similar institution, an outsourced service provider had tampered with the final discharge bills of patients and charged them more thereby causing them financial loss and mental agony, it stated.
"This further highlights the importance of transitioning to 100 per cent integrated digital payment systems at AIIMS, Delhi, so as to ensure that no patient is fleeced and the Institute accounting is also auditable on end to end basis," the office order stated.
"Accordingly, it is advised that the AIIMS Smart Card which has been started on pilot basis in few areas should be operationalized pan-AIIMS New Delhi for all sorts of payments by 31 March 2024," the order stated.
All payments shall be accepted at the payment end points installed nearest to the patient location and patients or their attendants shall not be asked to visit the central registration counters to make any payments.
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