KARACHI:
For a sick person, every minute matters. Unfortunately, patients visiting Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences often have to spend hours just to obtain an OPD slip. This long waiting time has become a major inconvenience, especially for seriously ill patients, elderly people, and those who have travelled from distant areas. For someone needing an urgent checkup, even a half-hour delay can be extremely stressful for the patient and their family. I have personally experienced this multiple times while taking my parents there for checkups. Another concern among ordinary patients is the perception that people with personal connections get slips more quickly. Whether or not this happens in every case, such a perception lowers public trust in the fairness of the system.
This hospital not only serves Gambat and nearby areas but patients from across Sindh and other parts of the country. It should therefore introduce an online system allowing patients to pre-book OPD slips or appointments, saving valuable time. For those unable to use an online system, separate physical counters or a simple token system should be made available. Currently, an online token facility exists only for liver transplant OPD patients. Extending it to all OPD patients would make the process far more convenient. Small improvements to the token process could ease patients’ stress considerably.
Parkash Kumar
Khairpur
