Bhopal: Patients at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal, can now access about 10 hospital services through WhatsApp, sparing themselves the hassle of visiting the hospital or using multiple online portals for routine tasks.
The new service, called “AIIMS Bhopal WhatsApp Health Services”, allows patients to register for outpatient department (OPD) appointments, link their ABHA health ID, access laboratory reports, obtain birth and death certificates, view discharge summaries, check billing details, access patient information and prescriptions, and make OPD-related inquiries.
The service is available around the clock, aimed particularly at patients who otherwise have to travel to the hospital to book appointments, collect reports or certificates, or seek basic information.
The initiative has been introduced under the guidance of newly appointed AIIMS Bhopal director Dr Narendra Kotwal, who said the hospital was also working to expand specialised medical and diagnostic services here on Saturday.
A PET-CT machine and Gamma Knife facility are among the services planned, while robotic surgery is also being introduced. These facilities are expected to become operational by the end of 2026, according to the director.
Work is also progressing on an additional cardiac catheterisation laboratory, or cath lab. By next year, AIIMS Bhopal aims to have two cath labs, two MRI machines and two linear accelerators (LINACs) in operation.
The hospital is also nearing completion of procurement for a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), which will allow doctors to access diagnostic images and reports electronically. The system is part of a broader effort to move towards a paperless, digitally integrated hospital.
Procurement of a virtual autopsy centre is also nearing completion. The facility will use CT scans to examine internal injuries and other conditions and is expected to be particularly useful in cases involving accidents, legal investigations and unnatural deaths.
AIIMS Bhopal is also setting up an extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy facility for kidney and urinary tract stones. The machine is expected to be installed within two months and will allow suitable patients to be treated without surgical incisions.
The measures form part of the hospital’s roadmap for the coming year, with the administration seeking to combine easier access to routine services with expanded specialist care and greater use of digital technology.
