Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital records 100% 'cashless' transaction

Tata Memorial Centre Cancer Hospital in Mumbai, which functions under the aegis of Department of Atomic Energy, has achieved 100 percent "cashless" transaction through the use of exclusive hospital-specific multipurpose pre-paid `smartcard.'

The smartcard is in fact a unique multipurpose card not only offering the facility to make cashless payments by the patient, but also offering the patient access to his treatment record by registering the MRD / EMR number, an official release stated today.

Disclosing this, union minister of state (independent charge) for development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and MoS in the PMO, personnel, public grievances, pensions, atomic energy and space, Jitendra Singh said during his visit to the Tata Memorial Centre he held an interaction of the hospital faculty members as well as scientists and officials of the Department of Atomic Energy.

Congratulating the faculty members, doctors and staff of the hospital for having taken a lead in the government health sector in promoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign for cashless transactions, Jitendra Singh said, Tata Memorial Hospital is possibly the first hospital of its kind in government sector, which is making all its transactions for treatment, investigation, management etc through cashless payments from smallest amount to large amounts.

Citing figures, Jitendra Singh said, on 8 November when the prime minister announced the decision of demonetisation, the total number of cashless transactions in the Tata Memorial Hospital was 287 amounting to Rs45 lakh on that single day. But within a period of little over one month on 15 December, he said, the number of cashless transactions during a single day went up almost double to 525 amounting to Rs65 lakh.

Displaying the card prepared by the Tata Memorial Hospital, Jitendra Singh said that the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai has set an example which can be emulated as a role model by other hospitals in the government sector.

He elaborated that the exclusive hospital specific multipurpose ''smartcard'' prepared by the management of Tata Memorial Centre is a pre-paid card, which is handed over to the patient the moment he reports and registers himself at the hospital, whether as an in-patient or out-patient.

No extra charges are to be paid for procuring this exclusive ''smartcard'', said Jitendra Singh, adding that once the card is in the possession of the patient or his attendants, it can be used for making payments for diagnostic investigations, purchase of medicines, hospital charges, etc. In addition, he said, the card also provides access to the patient's hospital record and other details, which he can share for seeking medical consultation from time to time.

He further informed that at the time of registering himself as a patient, the person is expected to deposit a certain amount in advance for hospital expenses and this precisely forms the top-up/ backup of the prepaid hospital card.

Jitendra Singh also saw a brief presentation on the latest Proton Therapy for cancer management, for which a full-fledged centre is likely to become functional in Tata Memorial Centre from 2020 with possible support from the Department of Atomic Energy.

Earlier, the minister visited the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) where he convened a review meeting to receive update on the various ongoing projects. He also visited different scientific blocks at the centre accompanied by secretary Department of Atomic Energy Shekhar Basu, Director BARC KN Vyas, CMD Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) SK Sharma, Senior Director N Nagaich, senior scientists and officers from administration.