At PGI, the wait never ends

Tribune News Service

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, June 15

With over 9,000-10,000 patients visiting the OPDs every day, the PGI is weighed down under the immense load of patients waiting for their turn at the registration counters for getting appointment cards made, for making payments at counters and for the collection of reports.

In the early hours (between 3 am and 5 am), around 1,000-2,000 patients begin queueing up outside the New OPD Block and Nehru Hospital even when the gates are closed. The security guard concerned opens the gate at 6 am and allows the patients inside the hall where they wait for the counters to open up at 8 am.

Sandeep Kumar, who came from Saharanpur this morning, was standing in a queue for over an hour to make the payment for a CT scan. “It’s been one and a half hours since I have been standing in a line. The treatment here is satisfactory that is why I come here every time,” he said.

Atul (35) was standing in a queue for one and a half hours and was skipping the queue to co-ordinate with his wife, who was seven-month pregnant. “My wife is also standing in a queue for the surgery department. I am making her sit,” he said while standing in the queue.

In some departments, the OPD registration timings are from 8 am to 10.30 am. In such a short spell, some patients are turned away as their turn does not come. “Every day, 100 to 150 patients have to return because the time is limited and even though we try our best, we are not able to adjust all patients who come here. We ask them to come again,” said a security guard, posted at the New OPD Block.

Neelam, who had chronic stomach pain, had been standing in a queue since 9 am for one and a half hours, but as soon as her turn came, the window of the registration counter was closed. She had to return. She had come from Jalandhar to see a doctor.

Queue management software

PGI Deputy Director Kumar Gaurav Dhawan said the institute was working on a queue management software through which long queues at different counters would be managed through a system that would alert patients about when their turn comes to see a doctor, based on their token number. The PGI was also working on introducing online payment wherein a QR code would be imprinted on OPD cards through which payments could be made. The newly approved Hospital Information System-2 would also take care of recurrent payments.

Long wait to see docs

The wait does not get over after an OPD card is made at the registration counter. Patients have to wait outside the doctors’ room for their turn for two to three hours. Patients can be seen sitting on floors outside the doctors’ room after the seats get occupied.

Patients hassled

Patients first form a queue for the registration. If the doctor prescribes a particular test, patients have to stand in a queue to make the payment at a counter. There are 36 counter windows at the New OPD Block and the problem is almost the same at each window.

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