Special

Computerisation of  CGHS Dispensaries

 The project covers complete automation of patients’ registration, prescription by doctors, dispensing of medicines by the pharmacists, dispensary stores, medical store depots  and authorised local chemists in a dispensary. Interlinking of CGHS dispensaries for patients’ treatment is also available for all CGHS beneficiaries. The patient gets complete online treatment with registration, computerised prescription and online dispensing of medicines.

PROCESS->

The system has an online inventory management system which is updated on a real-time basis, with online dispensing of medicines by pharmacist based on the prescription prepared by the doctor. The system also keeps track of medicines indented by a doctor to the authorised local chemist and the medical store depot located outside the dispensary. The electronic medical records (EMR) help prepare various MIS reports for the CGHS management to take decisions to improve the system.
 
IMPACT->

The inventory management system helps forecast the requirement of medicines by the medical store depots (MSDs),  based on the consumption patterns of medicines and in the indented medicines supplied by authorised local chemists. The system helps decide about medicines the proprietary and generic medicines procured by the MSDs. The online availability of EMR of patients helps in better diagnosis and in the preparation of diseases profile. There is no manual compilation of MIS reports. The lead time for supply of medicines to the patient has come down to one instead of four days it took earlier. All the patients now have computerised medical records, which can be accessed from any other online dispensary and medicines can be supplied in case of emergency.

SCALABILITY->

The system is fully scalable being a web-based solution. Any further addition in the number of computerised dispensaries can be managed at the central server. The load balancing on the web and application servers helps effectivelymanage the traffic of concurrent users. The system is being replicated across other locations outside Delhi/NCR also. It has been decided to computerise 102 dispensaries in six locations in the next phase starting April 2008. The remaining dispensaries in 17 locations will be covered in succeeding phase. Future development plans include providing linkages to authorised diagnostic labs and CGHS hospitals, to central government offices to better manage CGHS beneficiaries, develop modules CGHS zonal/regional offices for processing of claims and to develop modules for accounts.