Shopian: Patients at District Hospital Shopian on Wednesday faced long waiting hours after registration services were affected due to the alleged non-availability of staff at ticket counters during peak morning hours.
The delay led to long queues inside the hospital premises, with patients and attendants waiting for registration before accessing OPD services. Elderly patients, women and children were among those seen waiting for several hours.
Locals said patients from different areas of Shopian, including far-flung villages, had arrived early in the morning for medical consultation but faced inconvenience because of the slow registration process.
Zahid Ahmad, an attendant present at the hospital, said he reached the hospital around 8 AM along with his mother, who required medical attention, but had to wait for nearly two hours for registration.
“I kept waiting till nearly 10 AM as no one was available at the ticket counter. There were many patients waiting for their turn, including elderly people and women,” he said.
Several attendants said delays at registration counters were affecting patient movement toward OPDs and increasing congestion in waiting areas.
Locals alleged that the issue of staff shortage and delays at registration counters has persisted for a long time and requires immediate attention from the authorities.
“There are claims about better healthcare facilities, but patients still face difficulties even in basic services like registration,” another attendant said.
Sources said some doctors inside OPDs were also waiting as patients could not complete registration formalities on time due to the delay.
Hospital officials attributed the issue to shortage of manpower, saying limited staff was making it difficult to manage the heavy patient rush during morning hours.
Meanwhile, social activist Mitha Gatoo said civil society members had repeatedly raised concerns regarding shortcomings in District Hospital Shopian and urged authorities to improve patient management and staffing. [KNT]
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