Patients endure long queues at KGH OP counters

Patients visiting King George Hospital (KGH) are facing prolonged delays in outpatient (OP) registration and consultations following the introduction of a revised digital registration system.

Despite the hospital running two OP slip counters and deploying nursing staff to assist with online enrolment, patients say waiting times have increased. Many visitors report spending close to an hour completing the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) registration before being allowed to collect OP slips.

“We waited nearly an hour for ABHA registration and then had to stand in another queue,” said an attendant accompanying an elderly patient. The smartphone-based registration requirement has created difficulties for senior citizens and patients from economically weaker sections, several of whom do not possess smartphones.

Hospital staff frequently assisting patients by completing registrations on personal devices. However, patients allege that technical glitches in the ABHA app are slowing the process. “Each registration is taking more than 10 minutes. The lines keep growing,” said another patient.

Hospital authorities acknowledged a sharp rise in daily OP attendance. Earlier, KGH catered to around 1,200 to 1,600 patients per day. The current footfall ranges between 1,900 and 2,500, with numbers touching 3,000 on certain days.

To manage the surge, OP consultation hours have been extended from 1 pm to 4 pm. However, patients say delays continue at diagnostic facilities, including blood testing and scanning centres.

Patients have urged authorities to resolve software-related issues, deploy more staff for digital registrations, and increase the number of OP counters to ease congestion.

Hospital Superintendent Dr. I. Vani said steps are being taken to reduce inconvenience. “We are making every effort to streamline services and minimise patient waiting time,” she said.