Vikramaditya
Port Blair, June 26: The GB Pant Hospital, the sole referral hospital in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, attracts a large number of patients on a daily basis. In order to manage the growing number of patients, the hospital authority has implemented a token system for various specialist appointments, including orthopedic, gynecologist, pediatrician, ophthalmologist, surgeon, dermatologist, and more. While the token system has reduced the chaos at GB Pant Hospital, there is a pressing need for further improvements to ensure that patients, especially those from remote areas, do not face unnecessary difficulties.
Currently, tokens for specialist appointments are issued by hospital staff at 8 AM, after which the specialists are available in their respective chambers from around 9:30 AM. However, in some cases, specialists arrive as late as 10:30 AM or 11 AM, as per their other schedule at OTs and Wards.
To secure a token, patients are required to stand in long queues from early morning. Andaman Sheekha Daily team has witnessed that some individuals even arrive as early as 6.00 AM or 6:30 AM to secure their place in the queue. By the time they finally meet with the doctor, it is often already afternoon. Thus, patients have to endure standing in line for one or two hours before their appointment and then go through the process again for their turn to see the Specialists, resulting in a total waiting time of five to six hours.
This situation is particularly challenging for elderly patients traveling from far-flung areas such as ChidiyaTapu, Burma Nallah, Wandoor, and other places. It is nearly impossible for them to obtain a token at 8 AM, return home, and then come back by 9:30 AM. Consequently, they are compelled to spend their entire morning at the hospital, causing significant inconvenience. While the introduction of the token system is a welcome step, it is clear that some modifications are needed to improve the process.
As per public opinion, the token system should be made online, or at the very least, tokens should be issued over the phone by concerned staff. The contact number for obtaining tokens should be widely publicized in local media, allowing patients to call at a specific time and receive their waiting number or auto-generated token. This would eliminate the need for patients to physically come to the hospital to acquire tokens, saving them valuable time. By implementing such a system, not only would time be saved, but the overall process would become much more convenient for patients. This would also reduce the burden on staff and alleviate the rush at GB Pant Hospital. Several private hospitals already utilize a manual phone-based token system, which has proven to be a convenient approach. Alternatively, the entire system could be transitioned to an online platform with the assistance of the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
It is imperative that the manual token system be immediately replaced with a more patient-friendly solution to bring relief to those seeking medical care at GB Pant Hospital. The doctors and staff members at GB Pant Hospital are working tirelessly under immense pressure, and transitioning to an online or phone-based token system would not only benefit patients but also provide some respite to the dedicated staff.
