Aadhar IDs made mandatory for patient admissions at IGIMS, Patna

Patna: Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) has become the Ist hospital of the state to make furnishing of Aadhaar cards before admission-mandatory. Except for emergency and critically ill patients, all others will have to submit their Aadhar identifications prior to admission. Emergency and critically ill cases will be given a period of 15 days for submission of details.

Critical and emergency patients, who don't have the card at the time of admission, will be given 15 days to submit their Aadhaar proof.

"Their treatment will not be hampered but other than emergency patients, anyone admitted for routine surgery or any other treatment would have to provide proof of their Aadhaar card," explained Hospital Superintendent, Prabhat Kumar Sinha, while speaking to Telegraph

"Patients coming for consultation in the hospital's outpatient department would also not be required to give proof of their Aadhaar card. Also, a counter has been opened near the emergency wing where patients who do not have an Aadhaar card can apply for it," stated Medical Superintendent, Manish Mandal.

Stating a reason for the hospital insisting on Aadhar proofs, Superintendent, Dr Sinha said it has become an essential in the face of patients asking for name corrections on bills, leading to problematic medical insurances, and problems in attending to those coming for treatment under the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

"We smelled something fishy was going on. So, to prevent any mistake, we have made the norm of taking proof of Aadhar card from the patient before admission," he said.

Mandal also stated: "IGIMS is an autonomous institution on the lines of AIIMS-Delhi. We take charges for various facilities like private hospitals and have to manage our finances, keep our records because of which we require Aadhaar proof."

82 percent people in Bihar had already acquired Aadhaar cards by May in this year.