NEW DELHI: Central government-run hospitals in the national capital will keep their Out Patient Department (OPD) services open on Sundays from October 10. Hospitals such as Safdarjung, Ram Manohar Lohia and Lady Hardinge have issued orders stating which all services are to remain open from
Sunday onwards.
Departments that will operate OPDs on Sundays include medicine, surgery, orthopaedics, eye, ENT, paediatrics, urology and pharmacy at RML Hospital. “The OPD will start from October 10. Registration timing will be 8:30 am to 11:30 am. HODs concerned are requested to provide a monthly roster of their departments,” read the order.
Lady Hardinge Medical College and its associated hospitals have issued orders to start OPD services of five departments namely paediatric medicine, medicine, surgery, gynaecology and orthopaedics. The pharmacy counter will be open for drugs distribution and lab services will be available for patients.
The resident doctors, however, did not react well to the order. The Federation of Resident Doctors Association wrote a letter to the Union Health Minister objecting to the ministry’s decision.
“Resident Doctors, have been working tirelessly amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Adding Non-Emergency OPD services on Sundays will only add up to the existing workload which will affect their physical as well as mental health. We would like to request you to withdraw the direction of starting the Non-Emergency OPD services on Sundays at the earliest,” read the letter.