In a significant move toward transparency, Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital has initiated a complete overhaul of its parking management system following serious corruption allegations. The hospital administration has invited fresh tenders to establish a new, transparent parking facility after a major scandal involving illegal fee collection came to light.
Corruption Scandal Exposed
The corruption matter surfaced just seven days ago when it was revealed that a private individual had been illegally collecting parking fees for over a year without any government order or tender. During this period, the hospital administration itself managed the parking facility, creating loopholes that were exploited.
The accused persons reportedly fled immediately after the scandal came to light, prompting immediate action from hospital authorities. The illegal collection occurred despite the hospital having direct management control over the parking facility last year.
Immediate Measures and Future Plans
Currently, parking at SMS Hospital remains free of charge, but this is a temporary arrangement. The hospital administration has confirmed that parking fees will resume once the new system is properly established through the tender process.
Until the tender is awarded and a new agency takes over parking management, the hospital will directly handle all parking collections to prevent any further misuse or illegal activities.
Digital Transformation for Transparency
SMS Hospital has planned comprehensive technological upgrades to ensure complete transparency in its parking operations. The new system will feature multiple digital safeguards including Point of Sale (POS) machines for cashless payments and QR codes that will enable direct online payments into the official account of the Rajasthan Medical Relief Society.
The administration will also implement digital entry and exit monitoring of every vehicle and display clear parking fee posters to prevent overcharging of visitors. In a significant security enhancement, the system will include real-time linkage with the police command centre.
This police integration will trigger automatic alerts if any stolen vehicle enters the hospital premises, adding an important security layer to the parking facility. For smooth management of the new system, the hospital will deploy 18 staff members specifically for parking management duties.
The comprehensive overhaul represents one of the most significant transparency initiatives in recent times for Rajasthan's healthcare infrastructure and is expected to set new standards for public facility management in the region.
