Digital Medical Reimbursement via iHRMS: Modernizing Governance in Punjab, India

Author(s): Dr Sumant Goyal, MBBS

Background and need: For many years, state employees in Punjab seeking compensation for hospital bills were forced to navigate a long paper trail. Printed invoices and forms wound their way through employer offices, district health authorities and, for larger sums, the state headquarters. These layers, combined with manual arithmetic and filing, meant reimbursements were slow and sometimes documents went missing.

Purpose: This project set out to design and trial a digital reimbursement option within the Integrated Human Resource Management System (iHRMS). The goal was not only to shorten wait times but also to make the process more transparent and easier for employees and administrators alike.

Approach: We undertook a quality?improvement exercise using the Plan– Do–Study–Act (PDSA) method, a four?step cycle commonly applied to refine processes. Teams from the Directorate of Health & Family Welfare and the National Informatics Centre collaborated on software development. Staff trainings began in May 2025; the pilot was launched in district SAS Nagar on 21 May 2025 and later expanded to district Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib. Data from iHRMS dashboards were reviewed to measure turnaround time, error rates and user perceptions.

Findings: Over six months (May–October 2025) several hundred claims were filed online. The average processing period dropped from roughly 45–60 days to under 25 days. Built?in rate tables and document checklists reduced calculation errors and missing attachments, while online dashboards let employees follow the status of their claims in real time. Participants highlighted the elimination of physical file transport and the ease of verification through automated calculations.

Implications: Embedding medical reimbursement into iHRMS shows how an existing digital platform can bring public?sector administration into the modern age. Faster decisions, clearer audit trails and satisfied users suggest that a similar model could work across other departments and states.