from archive interview of V Srinivas
On journey to a
topsy -turvy path
He gained valuable exposure
to international relations
during his years in the
Ministry of External Affairs; though
an IAS officer, Srinivas’s posting in
the foreign ministry – which the
IFS considers its turf - caused no
heartburn. He learnt the trade side
up close while posted in the Ministry
of Textiles and people-to people
relations serving in the Ministry of
Culture.
And then, in December 2014,
he was appointed Deputy Director
Administration at the All India
Institute of Medical Sciences. That
same year, a Parliamentary Standing
Committee had recommended a
series of corrective measures on
AIIMS functioning. There was much
work to be done.
Not one to shy away from
hard work, and a great believer
in institution-building, he took
the bull by the horns. His AIIMS
stint turned out to be “one of the
greatest challenges of my career...to
streamline processes and enhance
administrative efficiency in (this)
institute of national importance.”
Recruitment was expedited to fill
up vacancies among faculty, scientists
and nursing staff, implementing
reservation policy, kickstarting longdelayed
civil works projects such as
the National Cancer Institute, and
redeveloping residential campuses,
the Mother and Child, as well as the
OPD blocks.
But Srinivas’s greatest moment
of pride came with the remarkable
success of the Digital AIIMS project,
a combination of the e-Hospital and
the OPD transformation initiatives.
Before he arrived on the scene, the
e-Hospital drive had been ineffective
due to lack of coordination. Realizing
the need of the hour, Srinivas played
a leadership role, “coordinating
with the Ministry of Electronics &
Information Technology, National
Informatics Centre, the Tata
Consultancy Services and AIIMS
to bring together a diverse group of
individuals to work collectively for
the Institute’s benefit”.
OPD services were streamlined
through faster registration, electronic
medical records, exit OPD counters,
simplification of billing procedures,
inter-linking of laboratory data,
dietary modules, laundry modules
and in-patient details. New cadres,
such as Nursing Informatics
Assistants, Patient Care Managers
and Patient Care Coordinators, were
also introduced.
The numbers speak for
themselves: from December 2015 to
March 2017, over 50 lakh patients
reaped the rewards of this project;
waiting time for patients per visit
46 February 2020 | www.smartgovernance.in