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Covid ebbs, PGI OPD enrolment timings unchanged
Naina Mishra
Chandigarh, September 5
Despite the Covid waning, the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) is yet to restore its OPD registration timings to the pre-pandemic levels. Against three hours (8 am to 11 am) in 2019, registrations are taking place only for two hours (8 am to 10 am) currently.
Panel to decide
Final call will be taken by a panel deliberating extension by another hour. However, protocol has to be followed as pandemic isn’t over yet.Rs Dr Naveen Pandey, Department of Hospital Administration
In February, considering a consistent drop in Covid-19 cases, the PGIMER had decided to scale up physical elective outpatient services by increasing the registration timings by an hour. Earlier, the registration timing was from 8 am to 9 am, which was extended by an hour to 10 am to facilitate more patients.
As the OPD timings are only for two hours, some patients are being turned away as they run out of time before they reach the counter while waiting their turn in the queue.
The old practice of calling patients by appointment through teleconsultation during the Covid-19 pandemic has also been discontinued as physical registrations had peaked and manpower was limited at the institute to handle the patient rush.
On a given day, over 10,000 OPD registrations are being made at the institute even if the counters remain open for only two hours.
Dr Naveen Pandey, Department of Hospital Administration, said: “There are around 45 OPD registration counters and we are touching the pre-covid registration levels of 10,000 daily within the two-hour window. The final call will be taken by the panel deliberating the extension of OPD timings.”
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