| Pankaj Narula |
Healthcare logistics, after decades of being ignored, has finally arrived. The healthcare providers have recognised that the intra-facility logistics accounts for around 80-90 per cent of the total healthcare operations, be it materials or patients. Advantages of healthcare logistics automation are appreciated by healthcare providers that are both tangible and intangible. The solutions help reduce healthcare delivery costs, theft, pilferage, delays, portering costs, labour, prevent bio-hazards and enhance healthcare automation, facility’s credibility, efficiency and healthcare delivery quality.
There are several options for materials transport solutions: Pneumatic Tube System (PTS), Electric Track Vehicles (ETV) and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV).
| About SNG India |
There are around 120-130 hospitals and healthcare facilities in India who have adopted PTS in there infrastructure. Around 80 are SNG- Swisslog systems. Swisslog is a clear leader world-wide and India with around 8000 hospitals including top 10 best hospitals in US, India and the world.
ETVs are for medium payload and slow speeds for scheduled transports. ETVs can take payloads of around 30kgs and transport at speeds of around 1mps.
ETVs concept comprises fully computer controlled container cars and tracks that work on low DC voltage. The containers can carry medium heavy payloads (30kg) and can carry items such as CSSD Instrument packages, Medical Records, Bulk Samples etc…
There are some healthcare facilities that are planning to incorporate a mixed solution of PTS and ETV to be able to handle close to 90 per cent of the facilities’ total materials handling requirements.
AGVs are highly advanced and robotic vehicles that can carry payloads of upto 500kgs and move at slow speeds of 0.5mps. These Smart Robot Vehicles carry large Linen Containers, for both soiled and fresh, from Laundry to Wards and back; also used for transport Food tray trolleys from kitchen to and from various wards. The vehicles find their own way using the facility’s layout plans in its program, communicates with doors, elevators to reach the destinations.
| What’s next? |
| Pharmacy Automation or ADMS (automated drug management systems) is automation of storage and dispensing of OPD and IPD pharmacies of the hospitals. In OPD’s at the pharmacies there are long queues of patients or their attendants to get the medications prescribed. The pharmacists are unable to handle these prescriptions at high speeds as they need to read the same, identify the locations, punch into the computer and then dispense. This consumes almost 7 – 15 minutes per prescription. With the ADMS automation the pharmacist can handle 5 – 10 prescriptions per minute, leaving little room for errors owing to wrong medications and keeping customers happy. Likewise, in IPD pharmacy the prescriptions are controlled and checked by the ADMS system and Pharmacists, reducing work load of the Nurse and reducing ward level drug stocks by 60-70 per cent helping improve cash flows as well as enhance credibility of the hospital facility, error reduction and hence costs entailing such errors and litigations etc. “We are already in talks with some of the leading healthcare providers for ADMS”, remarked Puneet Narula, Head Projects & Technical, SNG India. |
All these technologies are available in India today, however, local knowledge of the technology is extremely important. SNG India has a team around 50 of highly qualified engineers and technicians, keeping them far ahead of the competitors, if any.
For more information on SNG India contact:
Mob: 09810007700
Email: customercare@sngindia.org
Website: www.sngindia.org