BBH plans queue management

Rawalpindi: The administration of Benazir Bhutto Hospital is planning to introduce queue management system in its outpatient department that receives 4,000 to 4,500 patients daily on average who have to wait for hours in long queues.

The BBH having almost no budgetary allocation for the system is working on installation of digital token system for OPD patients on self-help basis as it has already introduced, last month, an automated token system for patients requiring laboratory tests at its OPD.

It is important that majority of patients visiting OPDs at public sector hospitals including BBH belong to low and lower middle class of the society and they have to face a number of problems at the existing set-up at BBH particularly due to lack of proper space to sit and wait for their turns.

Even elderly patients have to wait for hours in the corridors in OPD to get them examined. The Benazir Bhutto Hospital has arranged equipment, machinery and software, for queue management system for patients requiring laboratory tests at the hospital’s pathology department through self-help basis and it is serving poor patients a lot, said Medical Superintendent at BBH Dr. Rafiq Ahmed while talking to ‘The News’ on Friday.

He said not less than 1,000 patients are accommodated through the installed digital token system daily but it is only for patients requiring laboratory tests. Patients are given token under four categories, male, female, senior citizens and government employees and thus the system has improved the patients’ well-being to a great extent, he said.

Now we want to establish the same system for all OPD patients, but budgetary constraints are there, he said. We are planning to raise funds and collect donations for the purpose, he said. The BBH has established a small waiting area having 40 chairs to accommodate patients further through the digital token system already introduced.

We would like to establish more waiting areas and sitting arrangements for all patients at the OPD particularly to minimize the sufferings of elderly patients, said Dr. Rafiq. It is worth mentioning here that the Institute of Psychiatry at BBH had replaced its old building with a new one completely on self-help basis, with the help of donations from public in 2008 while the government contributed not a single penny for construction of the new building of the institute.

Philanthropists can come forward to help BBH for well-being of poor patients as by developing queue management system at OPD, the Benazir Bhutto Hospital would be able to minimize sufferings of thousands of patients, said Dr. Rafiq.