New Delhi, Nov 17 (IANS): In a bid to make payments easy for patients, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, will start the 'AIIMS Smart Card' facility in collaboration with the State Bank of India.

The AIIMS Finance Division, in collaboration with the SBI, will introduce 'AIIMS Smart Card' facility from April 1, 2023.

"It has been noted that patients or their attendants often travel long distances and stand in queues for making payments for various investigations & procedures or for getting snacks/food in cafeteria etc. Since majority payments are made in cash, providing balance change is also a challenge at many counters. Accordingly, it has been decided that Finance Division of AIIMS shall in collaboration with State Bank of India introduce 'AIIMS Smart Card' facility for patients & their attendants w.e.f. 1 April 2023," the AIIMS said on Thursday.

The premier health organisation said that this service shall be seamlessly integrated with the existing billing facility in the hospital as well as arrangements shall be made for installing payment end points at multiple locations within AIIMS including in all patient care areas, cafeteria, etc.

The hospital said that once the service is stabilised, no cash payment shall be accepted at any counters other than at the 'AIIMS Smart Card' top up counters which shall be operationalised in multiple locations within the OPDs, Hospital & Centres and shall operate on 24x7 basis.

Other than electronic payments via UPI, debit/credit cards, etc, the 'AIIMS Smart Card' be the only way to payments for all investigations & procedures. All payments shall be accepted at the payment end points installed to the patient location and patients or their attendants shall not be asked to visit the central registration counters to make any payments, said AIIMS.