KGH digitises lab services under Ayushman mission

Visakhapatnam: Laboratory services at King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam, have been digitised under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. The results of various diagnostic studies will now be sent directly to the referred doctor’s e-hospital login, eliminating the hassle for patients or attendants to visit the laboratory to collect them.

King George Hospital, which is serving as a lifeline for patients of north coastal Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Jharkhand, conducts tests on approximately 2,000 patients daily. To streamline the process, KGH implemented an online outpatient registration system. This system makes patient information readily accessible to treating doctors once an OP ticket is issued. Based on the patient’s medical condition, doctors can then efficiently refer them for various diagnostic tests offered across the hospital’s 36 departments.

KGH boasts a comprehensive range of diagnostic and radiology services, with dedicated departments like pathology, microbiology, and biochemistry handling different tests

KGH superintendent Dr P Ashok Kumar said thousands of patients from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha seek healthcare at King George Hospital every day. “Recognising the need for increased efficiency, the hospital recently began digitising its laboratory services, starting with the general medicine and general surgery departments. This initiative eliminates the need for physically collecting test results. The patients can instead approach the doctor for treatment as the results will be readily available in the doctors’ login,” said Ashok Kumar.

Andhra Pradesh has created Ayushman Bharat health account (ABHA) numbers to over 4 crore people. This enables patients to interact with participating healthcare providers, allowing them to receive digital lab reports, prescriptions, and diagnoses.

The electronic lab digitisation services introduced at KGH will take advantage of the unique health identification (UHID) number created at the time of availing the online OP registration. With their health records linked to their UHID accounts digitally, citizens will be able to access and manage these records as per convenience.

This enables the patients to create a comprehensive medical history across various healthcare providers thereby improving clinical decision-making. Further, they can also share relevant health records with registered healthcare providers digitally.

KGH recently completed its 100 years of existence. But it had its humble beginning as a civil dispensary in 1845.