Chandigarh, June 17 (IANS) The PGI Hospital Chandigarh on Tuesday unveiled a roadmap to redefine patient experience and hospital functioning, with the highlight being the announcement of a smart mobile application developed in collaboration with C-DAC Noida.

The app, expected to be launched by the end of the year, will integrate real-time indoor mapping, QR code-based patient identification, and crowd management features to streamline hospital navigation and reduce wait times.

“This app will transform how we serve our patients and manage hospital systems. It is designed to make hospital visits smoother, more efficient, and patient-friendly,” said Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Director Prof Vivek Lal.

He shared significant progress on the institute’s digital transformation journey, including the complete digitisation of the hospital information system, which now handles processes such as indenting and medicine procurement under schemes like Ayushman Bharat entirely online, ensuring greater transparency and efficiency.

The Director said the hospital’s infrastructure pipeline, led by the Rs 987 crore Sarangpur Project that will house a new 100-seat medical college, modern OPDs for 16,000 patients, and a 200-bed emergency block.

Additional developments include a trolleyway to streamline patient transfers between high-traffic blocks, and a doctors’ cafeteria soon to open.

Prof Lal emphasised that the PGIMER is also addressing rising patient loads, especially in emergency and trauma care, by securing approval to recruit 300 ex-servicemen through outsourcing over the next four to five months to strengthen campus security.

Additionally, 82 new faculty members have been recruited, including EWS reservation, reinforcing the institute’s commitment to transparency and meritocracy.

The Director spotlighted Project Sarathi, the hospital’s flagship NSS student-led patient navigation initiative. Now scaled across 34 states with over 6,400 active volunteers, the Sarathi-based model has been greenlit for expansion to 1,467 hospitals nationwide under MyBharat.gov.in, reaffirming PGIMER’s role in mobilising youth for social commitment through compassionate care.

–IANS

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