Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Minister of State in Prime Minister`s Office (PMO), Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Space and Atomic Energy launched the "Appointment From Home" facility at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here today. This is the first ever facility of its kind to be started in a Government sector hospital in India wherein patients will have the option of dialing Phone No. 09266092660 from anywhere in the country, which will connect them to "Interactive Voice Response" (IVR) service following which a pre-recorded voice will ask them about the OPD Department where the appointment is sought and also give the option of different available dates. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh said that there has been a revolutionary progress in Information Technology in the last two decades and in the interest of better patient care, it should be utilized to its optimum potential in the hospital set up. He recalled the days at the AIIMS when for the afternoon super-specialty OPD, patients had to physically line up in a queue from 10 o’clock in the morning and after procuring OPD cards, they had to again wait outside doctors` chambers and finally by the time they would go home after the consultation, it would get late evening thus consuming an entire one man-day of work.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, with the patient load in the Government sector hospitals increasing at a hectic pace and the Resident Doctors as well as Para-Medical and Nursing Staff under tremendous pressure, the use of e-technology in healthcare will help to save lot of time and energy, which can instead be devoted to patient care. Dr Jitendra Singh said, Science and Technology Ministry, headed by him, will provide all the necessary support to carry forward the process of e-health care and added that in near future, the AIIMS will also have the provision for online counseling for aspirants to MBBS, MD, DM Exams as well as online entrance examination facility. On the occasion, Director AIIMS Prof. Dr. M.C. Mishra felicitated Dr Jitendra Singh for his extraordinarily encouraging patronage which he said would help in modernizing the various facilities at AIIMS. Also present on the occasion were Mission Director e-Governance at AIIMS Dr. Gailora, Medical Superintendent Dr. D.K. Sharma, Dr. Sanjiv Bhoi, Joint Secretary, Health Sandeep Naik and Dr. Deepak Agarwal.