Panaji: Two months after GMC introduced an online appointment system at 12 outpatient departments (OPDs), early morning queues in the tertiary care hospital have not slowed down.Patients’ lack of confidence in the new mechanism, missing awareness, as well as hiccups in the system, could be driving the majority of patients to queue up for two hours and more to secure an appointment. “Walk-ins form a majority of the OPD patients, followed by those who book via phone, with a very small number booking online. The online appointment numbers are gradually rising, nonetheless,” a GMC official said.One of the follies of the online system is that it does not allow a patient to book a consultant of his/her choice. He/she can’t get away with a queue. After obtaining a token, or booking an appointment online, you will have to be in the line to secure an appointment with the consultant.“I booked online for cardiology OPD by paying Rs 100 as fees. It’s past noon, I’m still here waiting to see the consultant who did my procedure,” said a patient. She was directed to the general lot, and though the doctor saw her within her appointment slot, since he had not done the procedure, she was asked to go to the consultant who performed her angioplasty. “Here, I’m waiting to see the doctor,” she said.A GMC official said patients who book an appointment online or over the phone are given preference over walk-in patients.“Patients who took appointments over the phone must report to the registration counter at 8am. While online patients can book their slots for OPD registration from 10am to 11am, 11am to 12pm or 12pm to 1pm as per their convenience but must report at least 30 minutes before their scheduled time slot,” the official said.Twelve departments offer online appointments. While medical oncology and neurology daily offer 50 online slots each, other departments offer 100 slots each.In some departments like the urology department, almost all its patients are walk-in patients. Of an average OPD attendance of 288 patients at the urology OPD, 270 are walk-in patients and only between 10-20 book their appointments online, a GMC official said.The hospital has no plans to cancel the online appointment system, but is working to strengthen it.
