Patna: Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), one of Bihar’s largest government healthcare institutions, is preparing to shift to a fully digital, paperless system as part of a broader infrastructure upgrade intended to streamline patient services and reduce delays.
Hospital authorities said free Wi-Fi services will be introduced in the new building complex from the second week of May, marking the first phase of the transition. The move is aimed at improving connectivity for patients, doctors and staff, following long-standing complaints of weak internet access in the facility.
The project, approved by the state government, is being implemented with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) laying leased lines across the campus. Officials estimate the cost of the upgrade at around Rs 40 lakh.
Once operational, the high-speed network is expected to be available across all floors of the hospital, enabling digital access to patient records, test reports and administrative systems. Hospital officials said the improved connectivity would help reduce delays in routine processes such as registration, diagnostics and reporting.
Alongside the Wi-Fi rollout, PMCH is planning a phased transition to a paperless workflow. Under the proposed system, patient files, prescriptions, diagnostic results and treatment histories will be stored digitally and made accessible across departments.
Officials said the aim is to integrate all hospital departments into a unified system, reducing reliance on physical paperwork and improving coordination between medical teams. The administration also expects the system to help reduce overcrowding at counters and shorten waiting times.
Doctors are likely to benefit from quicker access to patient histories, which hospital authorities say could improve response times, particularly in emergency cases.
The administration has also said that the digital shift could improve transparency by enabling better tracking of departmental activity, patient inflow and resource usage.
Further phases of the project may include online appointment systems, digital prescriptions and mobile-based services for patients. Telemedicine facilities are also under consideration, which could allow consultations with specialist doctors for patients in remote areas.
Officials described the initiative as an early step towards modernising Bihar’s public healthcare infrastructure, and said similar models could be extended to other government hospitals if the system proves effective.
