Sankara Nethralaya, TCS tie up for hospital information system

Chennai: Eye-care hospital Sankara Nethralaya and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a hospital information management system (HIMS) for the hospital in six-to-nine months.

Sankara Nethralaya president and chairman Dr S S Badrinath says the aim of the project is to improve the efficacy of medicine through information technology. The software package will be provided through TCS's Life Sciences and Healthcare Practice.

Badrinath says patients cross-consult between different sub-specialities at Sankara Nethralaya wherein records are critical. An official at the hospital says most departments in the hospital currently maintain records manually.

The forthcoming software package will transform the data into an electronic medical record. Badrinath identifies research as another area that would benefit in the wake of the proposed change.

A TCS press release says the complete module of the system will integrate Sankara Nethralaya's satellite institutions in and around Chennai.