Abstract

AIIMS, New Delhi, with over 100 ongoing court cases, faced challenges managing diverse litigation, from employee disputes to rare disease cases. The manual system lacked reminder alerts and made retrieving case instructions arduous. AIIMS introduced an innovative solution by transferring case data to an Excel sheet, exporting it to a Google spreadsheet, streamlining case monitoring, and expediting documentation. Proactive reminder emails enhance readiness and communication. The approach resulted in tangible benefits, including averting adverse orders and expediting case resolutions. This cost-free, scalable solution holds potential for large healthcare institutions, offering an efficient framework for court case management.

Introduction

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, is a prestigious healthcare institution renowned for its advanced medical facilities and expertise. However, despite its commitment to healthcare, it was grappling with a significant challenge involving managing numerous ongoing court cases. With more than 100 active legal matters spread across different courts, the administration at AIIMS faced a complex issue. These litigations covered many topics, from employee service matters to patient treatment disputes and rare disease cases. The sheer volume of cases, combined with an average monthly influx of 12-15 new matters, made it increasingly challenging to handle these cases and ensure compliance with court instructions efficiently.

The Problem Statement

In its manual form, the system lacked a reminder mechanism for upcoming court hearings. Staff had to rely on physical diaries to keep track of hearing dates, which was not only time-consuming but also prone to human error. Moreover, accessing vital case information, such as the instructions contained in the last court order, took time due to the extensive paper documentation. Coordinating efforts among various stakeholders within a large institution like AIIMS to ensure compliance with these instructions and prepare for the next hearing date was highly challenging. As a result, the efficiency of the entire legal process was compromised, leading to prolonged litigation processes and potential risks to the institute.

The Solution

Recognizing the need for a more efficient and organized approach, AIIMS devised an innovative intervention to address the court case management problem. The institution transferred the data of the 100 ongoing cases to an Excel sheet, including key indicators such as case title, category, duration under adjudication, the advocate handling the case, the next hearing date, and the details of the last order. This Excel sheet was subsequently exported to a Google spreadsheet, allowing simultaneous access by the faculty-in-charge, senior administrative assistants, and data entry operators responsible for handling these cases. The use of the Google spreadsheet offered several advantages over traditional paper records. It provided a streamlined view of the entire journey of ongoing cases at a single glance, making it significantly easier for staff to monitor and follow up on cases. Additionally, PDF files of the last court orders were linked to each case in the Google sheet, reducing the need to navigate various court websites to access this critical information.

Furthermore, AIIMS implemented a proactive approach by scheduling reminder emails to its Legal Counsels. These automated reminders were dispatched three days before the impending court hearings, enhancing the institution’s level of preparedness and facilitating precise documentation within the court of law.

Relevance and Impact

Implementing this innovative solution had a profound impact on AIIMS’ court case management. It significantly improved monitoring and follow-up strategies, reducing last-minute urgencies and strengthening communication with the court. It reaffirmed AIIMS’ dedication to safeguarding the institute’s interests in legal matters, enhancing its reputation. The results were tangible, with several adverse orders and contempts averted in rare disease cases and expedited resolutions achieved in other matters. Additionally, the solution enabled AIIMS to generate valuable data for future analysis, such as the time duration of adjudication and the outcomes categorized by case type and advocate, facilitating evidence-based allocation of cases to legal counsels.

Scalability and Usefulness

AIIMS’ innovative approach to court case – management is practical but also scalable and useful for other large hospitals and institutions. The cost-free nature of this innovation allows easy integration into legal cells and establishment sections of tertiary care teaching hospitals.

It offers an opportunity to monitor an extensive array of court cases through a single spreadsheet, which can be invaluable in institutions facing a bulk of legal matters.Furthermore, it contributes to reducing the litigation curve by strengthening follow-ups on specific actions, leading to more efficient case resolutions. The database generated by this solution also enables future analytics, facilitating the allocation of cases based on performance, which can benefit institutions beyond AIIMS.

Conclusion

AIIMS’ innovative solution for court case management sets a precedent for healthcare institutions to streamline legal processes, enhance efficiency, and strengthen their commitment to protecting their interests in legal matters. This model of excellence in court case management is both adaptable and scalable, offering significant benefits to a wide range of institutions.

“AIIMS leads the way in redefining legal management, showing that efficient court case handling is the cornerstone of safeguarding healthcare institutions.”