Evening OPD at urban primary health centres gets govt nod

Manav Mander

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 3

The Health Department is all set to start the evening OPD at all urban primary health centres (UPHCs) in the state while a proposal to start it at all civil hospitals is under consideration. Letters have been shot to all civil surgeons in the state regarding the starting of the vening OPD at the urban primary health centres.

The timings of the urban primary health centres have been fixed as 8 am to 2 pm in the morning and 4 pm to 7pm in the evening for summers and 9 am to 3 pm in the morning and 3 pm to 7 pm in the evening for winters.

The civil surgeons have been asked to readjust duties of the paramedical staff.

“The change has been made keeping in view needs of the urban population. As most of the residents in urban areas leave for their work in the morning and the OPDs are closed by 2 pm, it makes difficult for them to use the services provided at the UPHCs,” said Dr Mahinder Singh, Assistant Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana.

Talks are on to start the evening OPD at the civil hospitals though no communiqué has been sent to the district health departments so far. Health Minister Surjeet Kumar Jayani said while the evening OPD at the urban primay health centres had been given a green signal, they were considering starting it at the civil hospitals in the state.

“The evening OPD at the civil hospitals may start in a couple of months. We are looking into the availability of doctors to make arrangements for its smooth functioning,” said Jayani.

Jaswinder Kaur, a resident of Model Town, Ludhiana, said it was a good news that the local UPHC would be opened in the evening as well.

“I am a working woman and return home at around 2 pm and could never visit the local UPHC as it is closed by the time I return home,” she said.

Another city resident, Jatin Khanna, also appreciated the move of the department. He said they were hopeful that proper staff would be made available at the urban primary health centre to attend to the patients.