CHANDIGARH, Jan 2: Patients visiting the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) will soon be spared long early-morning queues for OPD cards, with the institute rolling out version 2 of its Hospital Information System (HIS-2). The upgraded digital platform has been launched on a trial basis at PGI’s Sangrur Satellite Centre and will be implemented at PGI Chandigarh after successful testing.
Hospital officials said the new system integrates patient registration, billing and admission-discharge transfer on a single digital platform, replacing fragmented counter-based processes.
“This system has been designed to improve transparency and operational efficiency while making hospital services more convenient for patients,” PGI Director Prof. Vivek Lal said. “Patients will no longer need to move between multiple counters, which will save significant time.”
The move is expected to particularly benefit patients from rural areas and small towns, many of whom currently stand in long queues due to limited access to or familiarity with online systems.
According to the hospital administration, modules for registration, billing and admissions are already being used in daily operations at the Sangrur centre. Training and trial runs for additional components, including doctor’s desk, laboratory services and store inventory management, are nearing completion.
PGI officials said the HIS-2 project has been under development for several years and aims to create a unified digital backbone connecting contact centres and clinical departments across the institute.
