CHANDIGARH: Dispensaries in the city are set to have two OPDs in the morning and evening, as recommended by the administrative advisory council, UT. Sources state that the double timings are going to be implemented soon. These dispensaries will be handed over from the municipal corporation (MC) to the UT health department next month.

Only Government Multi-specialty Hospital, Sector 16, has two timings for the OPDs right now. PGI had planned to start evening OPDs several years back; however, the move was rejected following opposition from the faculty.

This is not feasible for tertiary care centres, stated Dr G Dewan, Director, Health Services. “We can’t reduce tertiary care centres to the level of primary health centres. All the dispensaries are now restructured as health and wellness centres. Such centres are at the level of primary healthcare centre where many patients visit daily,” he said.

The urban sector of the city has 26 dispensaries while the rural sector has eight. Around 8,000 OPD patients visit the dispensaries and civil hospitalsevery day. “These dispensaries cater to the poor patients and most of them are labourers. They are unable to come in the morning due to work and often miss the OPDs,” said Dr Dewan.

Allopathic and Ayush doctors have been posted at the health and wellness centres for integrative health care. “We are utilizing the services of the doctors under the National Health Mission programme,” said the DHS.

Evening OPDs have been functional at the GMSH-16 since 2015. “Even if we do not run the OPDs in the evening, our doctors are available round-the-clock in the emergency. But the services are mostly required in dispensaries,” the DHS stated.(TNN)