Chandigarh: 3 yrs on, PGIMER software upgrade work at snail’s pace
As per PGIMER deputy director, administration, Pankaj Rai, a team from the PGIMER has already visited other hospitals to whom the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) provided the upgraded HIS software; guidelines on how the software will function in certain conditions have been finalised
The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research’s (PGIMER) plan to upgrade its software — Hospital Information System (HIS) 1.0 — to 2.0 version has been moving at a snail’s pace for the past three years. Considering the need for an upgrade amid the increasing patient load, the standing finance committee of the institution had given in-principle approval for replacing HIS 1.0 with HIS 2.0 in 2022.
However, officials say that they have finalised the requirements for the new software and the executing agency — Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) — would be conveyed about the same soon.
The upgrade is meant to make better the patient-centric services, like registration and appointment booking. The PGIMER has been using the HIS 1.0 for two decades for patient registration, data entry, record keeping, etc.
PGIMER deputy director, administration, Pankaj Rai said, “We have finalised the requirements for the software upgrade work. A team from the PGIMER has already visited other hospitals to whom the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) provided the upgraded HIS software. Guidelines on how the software will function in certain conditions have been finalised. A meeting will take place soon to freeze the document for the upgrade work with C-DAC,” added Rai.
The software upgrade project would cost ₹14 crore, supposed to be completed in two years once the work begins. Patient-centric modules, including online appointment booking, tracking test reports and development of a mobile app for easy availability of hospital services, will be added to the upgraded software. Features will be added to the system in a phased manner.
A PGIMER official working on the software project said registration and appointment booking process would be made easier in the first phase. For follow-up patients, the institute is planning to have a quick-response (QR) code system under which patients won’t be required to go to the registration counter as they would be able to do so via scanning it. Appointments will be allotted in different time slots, easing the rush in peak hours in the hospital.
At present, only the Advanced Eye Centre has been maintaining the electronic patient record. With software upgrade, all departments will have such a facility as they won’t be required to maintain records manually.
Dr SS Pandav, chairperson of Computerisation Monitoring Committee, said, “Currently, a follow-up patient’s file is retrieved manually by a clerk before being forwarded to doctors/specialists. With electronic record, doctors will be able to track the previous records of the patients easily.
