GIMS set to start general OPD, surgeries next week

NOIDA: With Covid-19 cases declining in Gautam Budh Nagar district, the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Greater Noida has started preparations to resume out-patient departments (OPDS) and surgeries for non-covid patients. The hospital said they will resume from June 20.

Non-essential services at the hospital were suspended since early April, even before the curfew began. The partial curfew that was enforced since April 30 also discouraged many patients from making trips to the hospital, while many with serious medical conditions had to put off their treatments till the second wave of Covid infections ebbed.

“We have now resumed dialysis services for the patients with renal failure,” said GIMS director Dr Rakesh Gupta.

Dr Saurabh Srivastava, the chief medical superintendent and head of Covid-19 unit, said that the dialysis services can be availed of at a cost of ₹1,500 per dialysis and that the general surgery department will also start by June 20.

Director Dr Gupta said the institute has implemented online OPD bookings.

“Under the Digital India initiative of the central government, booking an appointment at GIMS will now become simpler and convenient for patients. For a first visit to the hospital, the patient is required to visit the medical institute’s website www.gims.ac.in or www.ors.gov.in and register themselves after providing their Aadhaar number. Within minutes, the patient will get the confirmation message,” he said.

Dr Gupta also said that the online platform will allay fears of long queues, enable smoother monitoring of patient flow and encourage Covid-appropriate behaviour.

“Earlier in May, GIMS had taken up tele-consultation services via the e-sanjeevani web portal and Upchar mobile app. Digitisation of lab reports is also in the pipeline,” he said.