Evening OPD at Chandigarh Government Medical Speciality Hospital Sector 16: Boon for patients

The evening OPD runs five specialities, Medicine, Surgery, Ortho, Paediatrics and Gynae. As per records, the OPD catered to 1,691 patients in August 2015. Out of them, the highest number of patients (671) came to the medicine department. On average, 150 patients visit the OPD every evening. In August 2016, the number of patients increased to 4,319 with an average of 200 patients coming in every day. By 2018, the OPD was catering to 4,000-plus patients every month. August 2018 saw 4,309 patients and the number rose to 4,735 in October.

Medical Superintendent Dr VK Nagpal said, “Today our evening OPD is most beneficial for those who can not afford to miss their day jobs. It is convenient for them to come after work hours. Most of the patients in the evening OPD are from the low-income group who work on daily wages.”

Pushpa, who used to earlier visit the gynae department of the morning OPD now comes to the evening. Her mother, Devi Rani said, “Earlier I had to make my daughter take an off from her school to visit the doctor here. Since the evening OPD started, I prefer bringing her here. I also work at a nearby shop as an attendant and cannot afford to take regular offs.”

Neelam Kumari, who works as a household help in Sector 27, said the OPD is a boon for people like her and her husband. “Earlier, we used to wake up early and go to a doctor in Maloya on falling ill because the private doctors in the city charge a lot. Those doctors would just give us injections, regardless of the ailment. These (Evening OD) doctors are very sayaana (wise), they are quick to arrive at a diagnosis and the course of treatment. We do not have to get any tests done or buy injections. My husband also does not have to take half-day
leave anymore.