‘SGPGIMS 2.0’ plugs into future with AI, big data, and zero paperwork

Professor Radha Krishna Dhiman, SGPGIMS director, said digitising all records would take one year. “The transformation will make healthcare delivery faster, more accurate, scalable, and largely error-free,” he said. “By going paperless, SGPGIMS aims to reduce delays, improve transparency, and create a sustainable digital ecosystem for future growth.”

The Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow, is set to build a state-of-the-art digital health archive and patient data hub, marking the launch of what the institute calls “SGPGIMS 2.0”, a sweeping transformation aimed at making the premier hospital fully paperless.

Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow (Sourced)

The hub will securely store records of more than 50 lakh patients, strengthen cybersecurity infrastructure, and support advanced clinical research. The government has allocated ₹500 crore in this year’s budget for the initiative.

Professor Radha Krishna Dhiman, SGPGIMS director, said digitising all records would take one year. “The transformation will make healthcare delivery faster, more accurate, scalable, and largely error-free,” he said. “By going paperless, SGPGIMS aims to reduce delays, improve transparency, and create a sustainable digital ecosystem for future growth.”

Professor RK Singh, head of emergency medicine and telemedicine, said SGPGIMS 2.0 would give doctors and researchers more time for clinical excellence and academic advancement.

Patient data will be digitised from the first point of entry at the emergency department, with clinical notes, prescriptions, investigations, and treatment histories recorded through computers, tablets, and mobile devices. Records dating back to the institute’s earliest patients will also be archived. The existing Hospital Information System (HIS), introduced in 1998, will be upgraded to meet modern interoperability and cybersecurity standards.

Beyond protecting records, the hub will harness anonymised patient data for advanced research and predictive analytics. AI tools will assist doctors in interpreting pathology and imaging reports, predicting surgical outcomes, identifying the most effective medicines for individual patients, and cutting diagnosis time without compromising accuracy. The system will learn continuously, improving clinical outcomes over time.

Other hospitals and research institutions will be able to connect to the hub, enabling multi-centre research and evidence-based treatment protocols.

The initiative integrates with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), linking patient records to unique ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) IDs for seamless access across India. A patient treated in Lucknow, for instance, can access their records while seeking care in Kerala or any other state.

The upgraded system is also expected to boost telemedicine and digital health services, allowing patients and doctors to access reports, appointments and prescriptions through secure platforms. A digital guide system is being developed to streamline hospital navigation and processes.