Getting speedy treatment in any of the PCMC-run hospitals has always been a big headache. Right from procuring a case paper to finding a doctor, the task is cut out for patients and their families. But things are changing on Pimpri-Chinchwad terrain as the civic body promises to become more patient-friendly.

As a first step to make treatment quickly available to the ailing citizens, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has decided to stamp out the "irritating business" of handling case papers. Instead, patients will soon get smart health cards which will store all their personal information, treatment given and details of the medicines prescribed. For patients, it will be a huge breather as they won't find themselves in chaotic queues anymore. Once they register their name at an OPD, they can go for treatment only after the display board flashes their name. For hospital employees, the burden of paper work will come down, drastically.

"Soon all civic-run hospitals will become paperless," said Municipal Commissioner Asheesh Sharma, who in his budget presented last week has stressed on "paperless working" at civic hospitals and dispensaries. The PCMC runs eight big hospitals and 13 dispensaries with nearly 40 out-patient departments (OPDs). Everyday 2,500 patients come for treatment to PCMC-run hospitals not only from Pimpri-Chinchwad, but also from Pune city, Khadki, Dehu Road, Hinjewadi, Talegaon, Lonavala, Chakan, Manchar, Rajgurunagar and even from Ahemdnagar, Sangamner and Solapur. The 700-bed Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital located at Sant Tukaramnagar in Pimpri is the biggest of civic hospital with 1000 patients daily receiving treatment at its OPDs.

PCMC medical officer Nagkumar Kunachgi said the tender process for implementation of the Health Card Management and Information System began on Tuesday. "But because of the model code of conduct in force, the tender process will pick momentum only after the elections," he said while pointing at August 15 deadline for launch of the "smart health cards." The project is estimated to cost Rs three crore. Nagkumar said there will be a central server at YCMH and inter-connectivity provided to all OPDs. "This will ensure that a patient who had taken treatment at one civic hospital can take treatment at another civic hospital as his data can easily be retrived with the help of the smart health cards," he said.

The PCMC has already had discussion with the officials of Mata Amritanandmayi Hospital in Cochin where the health card system has been implemented. "They have a ready software called Amrut Technology. We had received suggestions from them. They have also been asked to submit the tender," civic officials said.