Delhi AIIMS to maintain comprehensive record of Ayushman Bharat patients

New Delhi: To appropriately decide on its budgetary allocation, the premiere health institute, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has asked all its departments to conduct cost accounting for all inpatients, including day-care patients, to maintain a comprehensive record of patients who are being provided free treatment under Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).  

An order was issued regarding this by the AIIMS Director, Dr M Srinivas, with an aim to bring transparency in accounting and purchases of equipment. The record would be used to allocate a budget to each department and in measuring their performance. 

Also Read: AIIMS issues advisory for staff to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour

Under the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the AIIMS Delhi is providing free treatment to the patients who are covered under the scheme, and the amount is reimbursed by the Central Government at pre-prescribed rates. This reimbursed amount helps in quantifying the cost of services being delivered to AB-PMJAY patients.

The order states, "However, it is noted that no such cost accounting is being done for other patients being treated at AlIMS, New Delhi. Accordingly, it has been decided that concurrent notional costing based on applicable AB-PMJAY rates shall be done for all inpatients, including day-care patients." 

The costs would be analyzed every month to determine the notional cost of providing clinical services on a department-wise basis. The order stated that the Ayushman Bharat Kendra team would be augmented by appointing additional patient care managers who would be responsible for classifying the patients under the packages defined under the scheme and derive a “notional” cost of treatment being provided to them, reports the Times of India. 

The order, as per a media report in The Indian Express, further read, "This academic exercise shall also help measure the performance of various departments in an objective manner and shall also help in a more scientific apportionment of budget between various departments. Also, it shall enable quantification of the resources & budget spent on different kinds of diseases." 

Various faculty members of the institute observed that there are several departments in the institute where many equipments are under-utilised. They observed that this kind of audit would make the system transparent and provide better health facilities to patients. A senior official informed The New Indian Express, "If a specific department requires Rs 1 crore to function but receives Rs 70 lakh while at the same time another department gets Rs 1 crore even though its requirement is Rs 70 lakh, then the funds can be diverted to the needy department. It will ensure optimal utilization of resources. Also, a performance evaluation will force the department to work more efficiently." 

Also Read:IIT Roorkee collaborates with AIIMS Delhi to develop SwasthGarbh Mobile App for pregnant women