AIIMS to launch internal navigation system for faster transit on campus

Patients and caregivers will soon be able to navigate within the sprawling campus as well as the extended campuses of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) without any hassle as the hospital is all set to introduce an internal navigation system to help patients soon.

AIIMS director Dr M Srinivas on Monday formulated a five-member committee to look after the implementation of the hospital’s internal navigation system. The committee, headed by Dr Vivek Tandon from the neurosurgery department, has been directed to begin the process of inviting “experienced government organisations and public sector undertakings or autonomous bodies” who have worked in developing an internal navigation system for large public spaces, to submit expression of interest (EOI) with the next seven days.

“In addition, the organisation should have the capabilities to deploy, provide implementation/ongoing support and maintain the system. The interested organisation must demonstrate their solutions within seven days of publishing of the EOI and deliver and a fully functional system within three months,” an office memorandum issued by Dr Srinivas on Monday said.

Media division head, Dr Rima Dada said the new navigation will be a boon to thousands of patients and their families who visit the hospital every day.

“This will be a navigation system developed specially for AIIMS. If a patient or a caregiver has to reach from point A to B, they will now be able to do so hassle-free. AIIMS has a large campus, and it often becomes difficult for patients to find their way. This system will make that easier now,” Dr Dada said.

Dr Dada added that the system will not only enhance patient experience but will also ensure that there are no unnecessary delays in patient treatment.

In the memorandum released on Monday, the AIIMS’ director said the navigation system will be user-friendly, capable to accommodate large user load at a time, available in Indian languages (especially Hindi), would work seamlessly indoors and outdoors and also between different blocks and floors of the campus, even in areas where mobile connectivity is low.

The hospital has also listed that the system must be robust and safe from any cybersecurity threat — similar to the one that AIIMS faced last November when its online services were crippled for over two weeks after a ransomware attack, which resulted in the hospital having to manually operate its services, including OPD appointments and lab tests.

Internal data of the hospital shows that everyday at least 25,000 patients and caregivers visit its campus. Apart from its main campus in south Delhi’s Ansari Nagar, AIIMS also has campuses in Jhajjar, Ballabhgarh, Trilokpuri and Ghaziabad in the Delhi-NCR region.

The Ansari Nagar and Jhajjar campuses also have different centres, which in turn house more than 58 departments including labs, consultation rooms, operation theatres and outpatient services. This makes navigation between centres a challenge.

This navigation system will add to the hospital’s plans to improve its services, which are already in the pipeline. AIIMS is also creating a cross referral system with other government hospitals in the capital to solve the problem of crowding in the apex institute.