In a major step towards improving emergency healthcare, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bilaspur, on Tuesday launched 'Aapat Setu', a digital emergency referral platform. The system, designed by a Class IX student, allows hospitals to share a critically ill patient's medical details with specialists before the patient reaches the referral hospital.
The initiative is expected to prove especially useful during road accidents and natural disasters. Himachal Pradesh has witnessed repeated rain-related disasters over the past three years, resulting in the loss of more than 1,000 lives and property damage worth over Rs 35,000 crore. Officials believe the platform can help save lives by reducing delays in emergency treatment.
The platform was virtually launched by AIIMS Bilaspur Chairman Narendra Kumar Arora under the guidance of Union Health Minister JP Nadda. During the event, AIIMS Bilaspur also unveiled its new bilingual official website.
The platform has been developed by 14-year-old Darsh Verma, a Class IX student of DAV School, Bilaspur, and the son of Dr Dinesh Verma. He came up with the idea after noticing the difficulties doctors face when critically ill patients arrive without complete medical records from district and regional hospitals.
'Aapat Setu' enables hospitals to upload a patient's medical history, test reports, treatment details and current condition in real time. Specialists at the referral hospital receive instant SMS alerts, allowing them to prepare operation theatres, diagnostic facilities, equipment and medical teams before the patient arrives.
Darsh Verma said the main aim of the platform is to ensure doctors have all the necessary medical information before a patient reaches the hospital. He said advance SMS alerts allow hospitals to prepare treatment during the patient's journey, reducing delays and improving the chances of saving lives.
He said the platform currently has the capacity to connect around 100 to 200 hospitals. Future versions will expand the network to thousands of hospitals and also allow the sharing of patient photographs and additional clinical information.
Darsh said the idea came from conversations with his father about the challenges doctors face when patients are referred without complete medical records. He said the platform is designed to close this information gap and help hospitals prepare in advance.
As per AIIMS Bilaspur, the institute has recommended 'Aapat Setu' to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for implementation across all AIIMS institutions, considering its potential to strengthen emergency referral services.
Dr Dinesh Verma, Senior Physician and Medical Superintendent at AIIMS Bilaspur, said the platform can significantly reduce the time lost during emergency referrals. He said receiving patient information in advance allows doctors to keep operation theatres, investigations, equipment and specialist teams ready before the patient arrives.
He added that the platform can easily be expanded across the country's healthcare network. AIIMS Bilaspur has already recommended its implementation at all AIIMS institutions, and he believes it can become a national model for digital emergency referrals.
Along with the platform, AIIMS Bilaspur also launched a new bilingual website in Hindi and English. The website has been designed to make information more accessible for patients, students, researchers and the public.
The portal provides details about hospital departments, specialist doctors, OPD and IPD services, academic courses, recruitment, tenders, citizen services, institutional activities and important announcements through an easy-to-use interface.
The institute said 'Aapat Setu' will gradually connect hospitals, emergency services and healthcare professionals on a single digital network. Once hospitals across Himachal Pradesh are linked, the platform will offer a real-time dashboard showing available specialist services and vacant hospital beds, helping authorities coordinate patient referrals more efficiently during emergencies.
Hospitals can register on the platform through www.aapatsetu.in using their official institutional email ID, phone number, institution name and password.
AIIMS Bilaspur said it currently provides healthcare to lakhs of patients from Himachal Pradesh as well as neighbouring Punjab, Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir. In just over three years, the institute has operationalised its 750-bed facility and now treats more than 1,500 patients every day. Plans are also underway to increase its capacity to around 960 beds to meet rising demand.
On the academic front, AIIMS Bilaspur has graduated its first MBBS batch, while around 900 students are currently studying in its medical, nursing and paramedical courses. The institute is also expanding its super-speciality healthcare services and research programmes.
AIIMS Bilaspur Chairman Narendra Kumar Arora thanked Union Health Minister JP Nadda, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the state administration and the AIIMS team for their support. He said both the new website and 'Aapat Setu' would strengthen digital healthcare and make medical services more accessible, transparent and efficient.
Also read: Flash flood brings traffic to a standstill near Jispa
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