National Desk, 25th January: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has announced the implementation of the ‘AIIMS Smart Card’ across all departments for all types of payments by March 31, 2024.
This move is designed to enhance patient convenience, prevent overcharging, and improve the auditability of the institute’s accounting. Following this order, no cash payments will be accepted at any counters apart from the ‘AIIMS Smart Card’ top-up counters.
Electronic payments via UPI, debit cards, credit cards, etc., will still be accepted, but ‘AIIMS Smart Card’ will be the primary mode of payment for all investigations and procedures. Payment endpoints will be set up near patient locations for ease of payment.
The ‘AIIMS Smart Card’, already piloted in select departments, will be fully operational from April 1, 2024. The card is seen as a step towards modernising the healthcare payment infrastructure and providing a secure way for patients to manage their medical expenses.
This decision was spurred by an incident involving manipulated final discharge bills by an outsourced service provider, causing financial loss and distress for patients. AIIMS Director M Srinivas stressed the need for a fully integrated digital payment system to prevent such incidents.
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