No OPD in Polyclinic hospital on Saturdays


Express June 02, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Outpatients coming to the Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital in Islamabad on Saturdays will find the outpatient department (OPD) closed. The OPD at the hospital is switching from a six-day week to five. Moreover, the hospital administration is abolishing the evening shift due to low turnover of patients.

The new timings for OPD will be from 8 am to 5 pm, from Monday through to Friday, and will be implemented from Monday, June 7.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Health approved the decision on a trial basis, said Polyclinic spokesperson Dr Sharif Astori on Wednesday. If successful in Polyclinic, OPDs in other government hospitals across the country will also switch to five-day weeks.

With the extra hours, the doctors will also be able to perform more surgeries in a day. Patients who had to wait for up to four months for their surgeries will get their treatments sooner, said Dr Astori. He also estimated that the waiting list of patients waiting for surgery will be reduced by around 50 per cent.

Dr Astori believes the new working hours will help the hospital use daylight better and save energy. The step will also help the hospital management cut costs, he believes.

The move will also allow the administration to concentrate on its emergency department by shifting staff members previously working in OPD to emergency services.

Some of the doctors have welcomed the decision. “We work long hours every day. Saturday as a day off will be a compensation for us,” said Dr Yasir Saeed, a junior doctor in the emergency ward.

Other doctors in the hospital have shown their reservations about the new timings.”There is no cafeteria and rest room for the doctors, which will make it difficult for us to work long hours,” said Dr Fareedullah Shah, a senior physician at the hospital.

Dr Astori, when asked about the doctors’ reservations, said “The administration does have plans for a cafeteria at the hospital, but it will take time.”

Published in the Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2010.

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