Token system only in some OPDs
LUCKNOW : Only a few departments in hospitals across the state capital were able to introduce token system for patients coming to the OPD on Saturday, a day after a decision to implement it was taken in a meeting of the district administration, health and other departments.
When checked at the Balrampur hospital, the OPD had seats for patients and it was used to pass waiting period.
Hospital director Dr Rajeev Lochan said, “We have benches to wait hence there is no queue outside doctors’ chambers. We shall add token system soon but despite that patients will sit on these benches only and won’t go out.”
At KGMU, the token system is in place and patients can see the number on the counter and come to the chamber on their turn.
At civil hospital, the medicine and respiratory disease departments have brought in token system and patients are made to sit at a distance from each other while waiting for their turn to see a doctor. “This helps contain spread of any infection among them,” said Dr DS Negi, hospital director.
At the Lok Bandhu hospital, the gynaecology department has this system of giving token to women patients so that they do not have to stand and wait. This system has been existing there for the past few months. However, the remaining departments in these hospitals and other hospitals do not have a token system.
“Introducing token system will have two benefits. First, the patients will stay at distance from each other as they will not stand in queue one after another. Secondly, they may sit and relax instead of standing for long,” said Dr Ved Prakkash, HoD pulmonary and critical care medicine at KGMU.
He said there was nothing to panic about but remaining safe from all other infections too was significant and token system in hospital OPDs was one way for it.