CUTTACK: Gross mismanagement by the authorities has led to long queues at registration counters and hours of wait for patients to get tickets for consulting a doctor at the Cuttack district headquarters hospital (DHH), also known as City Hospital.
As per the rules of the hospital, a patient is required to first get himself registered and obtain a ticket from the counter on the hospital premises before going to the out patient department (OPD). The hospital has around five counters for the purpose, one of which is reserved for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PwDs). The other four are for general patients.
The DHH sees a patient load of around 1,200 to 1,500 every day, majority of whom are pregnant women. And such patients have to wait in long queues to obtain a ticket. The reason being deployment of counter staff in other work than registration.
Sources said, the hospital authorities are engaging two of the DTP operators at the counters in online diagnosis report delivery system due to which the registration system gets affected.
The problem grows more acute on Fridays as the counter for elderly and PwD patients remains closed on the day. The rest of the counters consequently witness twice the normal rush of patients on the particular day. “I had to stand in queue for 45 minutes before I could get the registration ticket for doctor consultation,” said a patient.
Considering the situation, patients and their kin have demanded online ticket booking system as it would reduce the rush in front of counters as well as be convenient for them.
Hospital superintendent Dr Arun Sahu said steps are being taken to streamline the ticket registration work at the counters as soon as possible.