AIIMS to adopt 'Smart Card' facility for patients; no cash payments after March 31

AIIMS cashless treatment, AIIMS Smart Card facility: Highlighting the importance of transitioning to a digital payments system, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said that 'AIIMS Smart Card' would be operationalised across departments for all sorts of payments by March 31, 2024. The move is aimed at improving patient convenience and ensuring that no patient is overcharged and that the institute's accounting is auditable.

"A recent news report has highlighted that at another similar institution, an outsourced service provider tampered with the final discharge bills of patients and charged them more, thereby causing them financial loss and mental agony. This further highlights the importance of transitioning to 100 per cent integrated digital payment systems at AIIMS New Delhi to ensure that no patient is fleeced and the institute accounting is also auditable on an end-to-end basis," an order signed by M Srinivas, Director, said.

The Medical Institute further said that no cash payment will be accepted at any counters other than the 'AIIMS Smart Card' top-up counters. The order further said that other than electronic payments via UPI, debit cards, credit cards, etc., 'AIIMS Smart Card' will be the only way to make payments for all investigations and procedures.

The card has been piloted in some departments and will be operational across the institution by the end of March. "Accordingly, it is advised that the AIIMS Smart Card, which has been started on a pilot basis in a few areas, should be operationalised in AIIMS New Delhi for all sorts of payments by March 31, 2024. Subsequently, no cash payment shall be accepted at any counters other than the 'AIIMS Smart Card' top-up counters, which shall be operationalized in multiple locations within the OPDs, Hospitals and centres and shall operate on a 24x7 basis. Other than electronic payments via UPI, debit cards, credit cards, etc., 'AIIMS Smart Card' will be the only way to make payments for all investigations and procedures," it said.

"All payments shall be accepted at the payment endpoints 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," the order added.