Cap on patients’ number, long wait at PGIMS-Rohtak

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, May 17

Suman came to the OPD at the PGIMS-Rohtak from Sonepat, nearly 50 km away, to get her teenage son treated for a neurological disorder, but could not see a doctor. The reason: 50 patients had already been given registration for the neurology department OPD and no more could be accommodated as per new provisions.

Suman’s was not an isolated case as PGIMS reopened 11 OPDs in different clinical specialties and super-specialties from May 11 with restrictions to prevent crowding and ensure social distancing.

Several patients can be seen struggling daily to get treatment because of curtailing of timings/registration schedule and restrictions on number of patients in OPDs. As per new provisions, merely 50 patients are to be treated in neurology OPD and 100 in others on first come-first served basis.

“My son was undergoing treatment in the psychiatry department, but doctors suggested we consult neurologists. So we came to the OPD, but got late as public transport is not available due to the lockdown and we had to arrange a taxi. We hired a taxi for Rs1,500 but are now going back without treatment,” Suman said.

Sunil, another patient, said she reached the OPD at 9.30 am, but failed to make it to the first 50 patients of neurology. “I repeatedly requested the officials to give me a registration number, but they expressed their helplessness.”

People coming from distant places were the worst affected. Parveen came all the way from Rewari, but had to return without consulting a doctor as officials refused to issue him an OPD card since he had missed the deadline of 11.30 am. Rohtak resident ML Sharma (75) and Sundra Rani from Fatehabad also faced difficulty in getting treatment.

Dr Varun Arora, PGIMS spokesman, said priority was given to patients coming from distant places. He said the cap on number of patients had been put to ensure social distancing to curb Covid spread.