Times of India
14 October 2010
Pune, India

Pimpri–Chinchwad mayor Yogesh Behl and municipal commissioner Ashish Sharma launched a health card scheme to mark the 28th Foundation Day of the Pimpri–Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). The card will not only help patients by storing their medical history on computers in a particular hospital, but will also aid the civic hospitals to go paperless.

Behl, Sharma, deputy mayor Dabbu Aswani and corporator Bhausaheb Bhoir were among the first few to receive the health cards on the occasion.

Chief medical officer Nagkumar Kunchagi said, "A related software has been developed which will be used at all civic hospitals. We will first implement the card scheme at the Yashwantrao Chavan memorial hospital (YCMH) and will later use it in other civic hospitals."

Kunchagi explained the reason behind introducing the scheme. "At YCMH, patients first approach the out–patient department (OPD). They take case papers from the counter and then proceed to the department concerned for treatment. Many people misplace their case papers and often end up making fresh case papers on consequent visits. The health card scheme will help store case history of patients with the hospital."

He said the civic body will give health cards to all the patients visiting the OPD at the YCMH. "This card will have a photo and other information about the patient. The information regarding the patient will be entered into the computer, so when the patient comes for the second visit, his/her information, medical history, x–ray film, lab reports, brain scan, etc. will be available just a click away."

Medical director R R Iyer said, "People should come to the YCMH and apply for the health card by paying Rs 20. People who have a health card will not be required to make case papers. We will monitor the response to the scheme at YCMH and later start initiate it at other civic hospitals."