Ranked among the top 10 performing hospitals in implementing the Kalaignar Kappeettu Thittam (KKT), the paediatric surgery unit at the Institute of Children's Health (ICH) on Monday launched a patient data archiving system.
Video clips of various surgical procedures will be archived apart from being uploaded to a server maintained by star health insurance company that is partnering with the Government for the KKT scheme.
“The facility will fulfil an insurance requirement, streamline patient data as well as infuse accountability,” said S. V. Senthilnathan, Head of the Department of Paediatric Surgery.
The department now proposes to channel back the revenue from the KKT into developing the infrastructure of the unit. The team of 15 paediatric surgeons at the unit has decided to forego their share of the team incentive to plough back the money into developing facilities.
Some of the new infrastructure can also be utilised by sister units, said P. Ramachandran, ICH Director.
Under government norms, 40 per cent of the package cost of a procedure goes to the empanelled hospital while the rest accrues to the State. And, in a further break-up of the 40 per cent share, 15 per cent is distributed among staff as “team incentive”.
As a tertiary referral centre, the paediatric surgery department, one of the five units of ICH that is enrolled in the KKT partnership, undertakes at least six major cases, four minor cases, 10 day care procedures and three to four emergency interventions every day.
During the previous review of the KKT, the paediatric surgery with just 120 beds was ranked the fourth best performing hospital and was given Rs. 2.50 lakh as first instalment towards the cost of procedures undertaken under the insurance scheme. The “team incentive” of about Rs. 1.50 lakh will now be routed back to the department for improving infrastructure.
“Thanks to the decision of the team, the KKT has opened up access to much-needed funds to develop facilities without going through the rigours of government procedure”, Dr. Senthilnathan said.
The measures mooted at the department include a KKT special ward on the fifth floor of the paediatric surgery block and strengthening the armamentarium.
