Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept 20: A strong request has been submitted by Rakeshwar Lall, State President, Hindu Rashtra Shakti, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, regarding the proposed implementation of the Online Registration System (ORS) at G.B. Pant Hospital/ANIIMS, Sri Vijaya Puram.
In a representation addressed to the Lieutenant Governor, Chief Secretary, Member of Parliament Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray and the Assistant Secretary (AR Wing), Andaman & Nicobar Administration, it has been requested that an intensive and well-planned public awareness programme be conducted before the ORS system is formally made operational.
It has been stated that patients and their attendants should be adequately informed about the benefits and proper use of the facility. Specific awareness has been sought regarding the ORS application, the facility for adding family members under a single user account, linkage with the ABHA account and the use of the Driefcase application for quick QR-code-based token generation for appointments.
The establishment of two separate counters, one exclusively for registration and another for appointments, has also been requested. Adequate manpower and proper training for the staff have been sought before the system is launched.
A dedicated telephone helpline operating from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all working days has also been proposed so that citizens who are not comfortable with digital platforms can access registration and appointment services without difficulty.
The deployment of trained volunteers and the establishment of a permanent help desk near the counters have further been requested to guide patients and attendants in using the ORS application.
The importance of clearly communicating the process involving the UIDAI-linked number has also been highlighted in the representation. It has been stated that, following registration and appointment, a unique number is generated, which is required to be retained by the patient for future visits. The same number is required to be entered during follow-up visits so that the treatment history remains linked to a single identity.
The role of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in implementing digital initiatives has also been referred to in the representation, with the expectation that the ORS facility would provide similar benefits to Islanders.
Concern has also been raised over the availability of the physical address and contact details of the Directorate of Information Technology, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, which, according to the representation, are not readily available either on the ground or through the official website. Clear information regarding the Directorate has been sought to facilitate coordination between citizens and departments on digital initiatives such as ORS.
It has therefore been requested that the awareness programme, deployment of volunteers and help desk, establishment of separate counters with trained staff, availability of Driefcase fast QR-code tokens, telephone helpline and clear public communication regarding the use of the UIDAI-linked number for follow-up treatment be ensured before the ORS system is made operational at G.B. Pant Hospital.
According to the representation, the proposed measures would facilitate smoother adoption of the digital health facility, reduce confusion among patients and attendants and improve access to the ORS services.
