Online indent system at multiple points reduces long patient queues at PGI

The new system, which began as a pilot project in C Block of the hospital, has now expanded to over 500 points within the institute, including the Emergency, where indents are generated.

By: Express News Service

Chandigarh | September 25, 2025 01:46 AM IST

3 min read

PGI, Ayushman Bharat cashless scheme, Ayushman Bharat, AMRIT Pharmacy, PGI security personnel, Indian express news, current affairs

“We are already seeing how crowding at Nehru Hospital has reduced.” Apart from transparency, officials say that digital indenting is a strong way to plug loopholes and in manual system, evaluation is tough.

This year, in February, funds of more than Rs 1 crore, meant for patients under the Ayushman Bharat cashless scheme, were siphoned off at PGI, using the data of discharged patients, fake documents, and forged bills. A young man was caught by the PGI security personnel using a fake stamp and claiming Rs 60,000 for medicines under the Ayushman Bharat scheme from the AMRIT Pharmacy. The PGI, in collaboration with AMRIT Pharmacy, had reported the incident involving the misuse of a stolen indent book (records used to track medical supplies from different departments) and counterfeit stamps to divert medication intended for patients enrolled in the Ayushman Bharat cashless scheme. The matter is now under investigation by the CBI.

To make the system more secure, 36 clinical wards and ICUs of Nehru Hospital switched to the online indent system. The new system, which began as a pilot project in C Block of the hospital, has now expanded to over 500 points within the institute, including the Emergency, where indents are generated. “At present, nearly 40–50 per cent of patients use cashless schemes, with a significant proportion being senior citizens above 70 years. Schemes like Himcare and Aadhaar-based entitlements ensure that payments are settled directly by the State Health Agency (SHA). Most patients are from Punjab, with emergency and ward services witnessing the heaviest demand,” says Dr Navin Pandey, associate professor, department of hospital administration, PGI, who has led the project.

As per Dr Pandey, more than 300 indents are raised daily by doctors and nurses, a task earlier managed through manual forms that often forced patients and attendants to stand in long queues. “Crucially, the online facility has now been extended to day-care patients, not just those who are admitted, increasing its impact. The online indenting system has streamlined medicine distribution and reduced the long queues at its AMRIT pharmacy counters, and doctors and nurses can now generate medicine requests digitally, and drugs are delivered directly to the patient’s bedside. “We are already seeing how crowding at Nehru Hospital has reduced.” Apart from transparency, officials say that digital indenting is a strong way to plug loopholes and in manual system, evaluation is tough.

While the PGI authorities have called it a leap towards smoother patient care, the rollout has not been without challenges. Doctors and nurses are undergoing training to adapt to the new process, and the rising volume of daily indents requires significant manpower. To cope, the AMRIT facility has advertised 50 new recruitments, adding to an already expanding team. The PGI administration hopes that with new technology and more manpower, the system will be another step towards patient care.

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