Mumbai: OPD registrations to open at 7 am at BMC hospitals

Patients from suburbs and across state opt for the four hospitals as they provide quality care at affordable rates. Representation pic

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has instructed the four civic-run medical college hospitals to open out-patient department (OPD) registrations at 7 am to prevent overcrowding.

"Delays in opening the OPD are resulting in long waiting periods for patients," said Dr Sudhakar Shinde, additional municipal commissioner (health). A circular to this effect was released on Tuesday, directing Sion, KEM, Nair and Cooper hospitals to open their OPDs promptly at 8 am.

The hospitals have also been instructed to implement a stricter attendance system. "All doctors shall register their attendance on biometric machines for in and out timing. The biometric attendance will be linked with the salary of all doctors," the circular read.

Meanwhile, the dean from one of the four hospitals explained that junior residents start the OPD at precisely 8 am, and the biometric system has always existed.

"As per norms, once a patient is at the OPD, a junior doctor first attends to them. That is how they learn. Senior doctors then reach the OPD by about 9 am to attend to patients," the dean said, adding that the only difference now is the change in registration timings.

Patients from the suburbs and across the state opt for the four hospitals in the city as they provide quality medical care at affordable rates. "Many arrive earlier in the morning to take the case paper and form a line, but the window is shut. Now they can take the paper and carry on with their activities before the OPD starts," the dean said.

According to Dr Shinde, KEM hospital has already started seeing the results of starting registration earlier in the day, as by noon the OPDs had fewer crowds compared to the previous day.

Dec 19
Day circular was issued