Increasing private wards at AIIMS can help bolster revenue: Chintan Shivir
NEW DELHI: Converting a third of general wards at all AIIMS into special wards and increasing the number of private wards can improve the revenue generating potential of the premier institute, according to recommendations made at the AIIMS Chintan Shivir.
Improving healthcare services at all AIIMS across the country and identifying an implementable model suitable for sustainable revenue generation to reduce dependency on government funds were also among issues deliberated at the Shivir held in August.
One of the recommendations was for constitution of a committee for revising the charges of AIIMS for non-paying and paying patients.
“One-third of the general beds can be converted into special general ward, another one-third can be paying beds for above poverty line patients,” it was recommended.
The general beds are free at the AIIMS, while those getting admitted in special wards will have to pay for the bed as well as for the medicines and tests, official sources explained.
Another recommendation was for creating a mechanism for identification of beneficiaries of AB-PMJAY, state government scheme, CGHS, ECHS, Railways and any other government linked scheme for contribution to the revenue kitty, they said.
Cross subsidisation model can also be piloted wherein the poor get the services free of cost and those who opt for paid service are treated as per their entitlement, the recommendations stated, adding ancillary service and support services can be tapped for additional revenue generation.
A suggestion was also made that AIIMS facilities may collaborate with reputed institutes like IITs, IIMA to run collaborative research and education programmes rather than duplicating resources and straining the exchequer, a source said.
Special blocks can be set up at AIIMS for attracting medical value travel hubs under the ‘Heal in India’ initiative, it was recommended.
A presentation on the Tata Memorial Hospital model was also made during the event.
In the annual budget announced for 2022-23, Rs 4,190 crore was allocated for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi.
The 23 AIIMS include those fully functional, partially operational or under construction.
Besides, AIIMS, Delhi, six new AIIMS in Bihar (Patna), Chhattisgarh (Raipur), Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal), Odisha (Bhubaneswar), Rajasthan (Jodhpur) and Uttarakhand (Rishikesh) were approved in Phase 1 of PMSSY and are fully functional.
Out of the 16 AIIMS established between 2015 and 2022, MBBS classes and outpatient department services have been started in 10 institutes, while only MBBS classes have been started in another two. The remaining four institutes are at different stages of development.
Source: Press Trust of India
