Chandigarh: Outpatient departments (OPDs) at health and wellness centres (HWCs) across Chandigarh are set to operate in the evenings to improve healthcare accessibility for daily wage earners and labourers. The initiative was proposed by the UT health committee, chaired by Dr Raj Bahadur, and discussed during a high-level meeting of the administrator’s advisory council, led by Governor Gulab Chand Kataria. According to the news reports, for thousands of workers in Chandigarh, visiting a hospital during standard morning hours often means losing a day’s wages. The proposed evening shift, scheduled from 4 pm to 7 pm, is designed to address this issue. With 34 HWCs in the city currently managing a morning footfall of around 10,000 patients, the evening shift could provide an essential alternative for residents in non-office roles.Also Read:Chandigarh Health Department Introduces Specialist Services at Urban Primary Health CentresDespite a Rs 6 crore budget earmarked for the initiative, the “double shift” system faces challenges in both funding and staffing. Dr Raj Bahadur highlighted the dual issues of ensuring sustainable finances and recruiting a dedicated workforce. Past attempts in 2015 and 2019 relied on retired doctors working on an hourly basis, which raised concerns about diagnostic accuracy and prescription authenticity.While infrastructure at many centres is already in place, the focus is now on recruiting medical officers and pharmacists specifically for the late-day shift. “Budget and manpower have been the constraints,” said Director, health services, UT, Dr Suman Singh, reports TOI.
The evening OPD initiative also seeks to decentralise patient load from tertiary care centres like PGI Chandigarh. By offering primary care at the sector level after work hours, officials hope to reduce overcrowding in hospital emergency departments, where patients frequently turn up simply because local dispensaries are closed.Also Read:Chandigarh hospitals to set up Portable cabin shelters for patientsSpeaking to TOI, a faculty member said, “There were attempts to have evening OPDs in PGI as well, but that could not be implemented. There are some OPDs, including endocrinology, in PGI, which are functional until 6 pm.”
