Long queues in IGMC as OPDs open

e-sanjivni for patients

The Health Department announced the e-sanjivni for patients to minimise rush at the OPDs in all medical colleges

The IGMC is discouraging public not to visit the hospital unnecessarily to minimise the risk of infection for the patients

The IGMC is putting in place logistics to provide online health services to patients who need not come to hospital until advised by a specialist or consultant

The idea is to ensure decongestion that will benefit the elderly who run greater risk of infection

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 20

Long queues of patients were witnessed at OPDs of Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital here, which were opened today.

None of the patients, who are symptomatic in the district, has tested positive and over 90 per cent persons with travel history are asymptomatic, said doctors. This is a cause for concern as coronavirus remains elusive in many cases. They cautioned underscoring the need for rapid testing of all asymptomatic persons. So far, the state has tested over 2,900 persons of the 7,800 who are under observation, doctors said.

The Health Department announced the e-sanjivni health service for patients to minimise rush at the OPDs in all medical colleges.

But the long queues of patients pose challenge to the IGMC administration. They must be saved from contact of the asymptomatic persons so as to avoid the risk of infection, the doctors cautioned.

Many routine patients could not make it to the OPDs as the IGMC was allowing the patients after thermal screening at the main entrance of the hospital.

The patients, who had temperature, were allowed first for registration that started from 8.30 am.

Talking to The Tribune, senior medical superintendent Dr Janakraj said: “As many as 440 routine patients arrived at the OPDs. We have deployed our staff and marked the sites for waiting patients and they followed all norms of social distancing”.

The IGMC was discouraging public not to visit the hospital unnecessarily in view of the Covid outbreak and lockdown announced by the government to minimise the risk of infection for the patients.

The IGMC was putting in place logistics to provide online health services to patients who need not come to hospital until advised by a specialist or consultant. The idea is to ensure decongestion in the hospital that would benefit the elderly who run greater risk of infection, he added.