SMS Hospital in Jaipur to go cashless, now pay for treatment with plastic money cards
Banks to set up counters at the hospital where patients and their family members can get plastic money cards. The system will prevent incidents of pick-pocketing and thefts.
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Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital
Jaipur: SMS Hospital in Jaipur will soon go cashless. It means that patients and their family members won’t have to carry cash when getting treatment.
The hospital administration is in the process of tying up with banks to provide patients with plastic money cards that their family members can use to make payment for registration, tests and other treatment-related expenses.
The hospital administration believes that it would help them reduce the incidents of pick-pocketing.
“Patients have to make over-the-counter payment for registration and other treatment costs. They have to carry cash to make these payments and as a result, they usually fall prey to thieves and pick-pocketers,” said SMS Hospital superintendent Dr DS Meena.
Meena said that the hospital administration had decided to introduce a cashless treatment facility.
“Under the new system, banks would open their counters at different places in the hospital. People can either deposit cash at these counters and get plastic money cards or have the amount deducted directly from their bank account and use the cards for payments at the hospital,” said the officer.
SMS Hospital administration would install card swipe machines at counters.
The patients will need to swipe the cards for payments.
Nearly 300-400 incidents of pickpocketing and thefts are being reported at SMS Hospital every month that has a footfall of more than 50,000 patients per day. Only OPD has a footfall of 10,000 people per day.
The registration fee at SMS Hospital is Rs 10, but tests can cost up to Rs 5000.
“The banks will set up the plastic money counters at 7-8 different places in the hospital. We are trying to introduce the system from January itself,” said the officer.
