Facility in shambles at JLNM hospital, initiative largely unknown
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, July 2: The Government’s ambitious initiative, the Scan & Share Queue Management System, introduced under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), being implemented by the Health & Medical Education (H&ME) Department, is facing hurdles in Kashmir hospitals, limiting people’s access to it.
The lackadaisical approach of certain hospitals, coupled with a lack of public awareness about the initiative, is impeding the authorities’ ability to achieve its core objectives.
While the facility has been successfully implemented, and operational in several hospitals across Kashmir, there are a few, including JLNM Hospital, Rainawari and SMHS, where hospital authorities have shown a lethargic attitude in effectively implementing the initiative to facilitate the general public.
JLNM Hospital, an important hospital in Srinagar under the control of the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir (DHSK), has encountered “unknown” problems with the implementation of the Scan & Share Queue Management System, even as the hospital authorities have failed to make the facility available to the public seamlessly, let alone informing people about this time-saving initiative.
At SMHS hospital, although the facility is operational, a lack of public awareness has prevented people from benefiting fully from the digital initiative and despite having a dedicated counter for issuing OPD tickets through Scan & Share, individuals are still seen waiting in manual queues for ticket generation.
Abdul Khaliq, an attendant at SMHS, shared his experience, stating, “I waited in the manual queue for at least an hour until I noticed people scanning the QR code and waiting for their token number to be called. After an hour, I followed suit, obtained a token number, and received my OPD ticket within just 15 minutes.”
He emphasized the importance of informing people about such a game-changing initiative, as its potential remains untapped without adequate awareness.
It is to be noted here that it is the responsibility of the hospital administrators to mobilize and educate the public about the benefits of any new scheme or initiative, keeping in view that the Scan & Share facility also aims to improve the ease of conducting business within hospitals.
However, the current approach of some hospitals not only restricts the advantages of the system but also denies people a seamless experience. In other hospitals across Kashmir, the facility is working well in comparison to the JLNM Hospital.
Officials from the concerned department informed Excelsior that their staff regularly visit selected hospitals, but they noted, the hospital authorities are requesting additional data entry operators, despite having sufficient manpower that could be mobilized to run the facility and raise awareness about it.
It should be noted that some individuals have been assigned to hospitals to assist in setting up the facility. However, it seems that certain Medical Superintendents are unwilling to take ownership, which hampers the proper implementation and functioning of the initiative such as the Scan & Share Queue Management System.
Dr Shafqat Khan, Additional Mission Director of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission, acknowledged the issues encountered in some hospitals and stated that despite the challenges, they have successfully implemented the facility in J&K. He informed that currently, the region ranks third in the token generation, competing with Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
“We have generated 2.25 lakh tokens so far, and that’s a significant achievement in just a few months. If all hospitals were working effectively, we would have been the first,” Dr Khan remarked.
Pertinent to mention here, the ABDM works towards transforming health service delivery by enhancing efficiency, transparency, and patient empowerment through secure medical record access, teleconsultation, e-pharmacy, and improved information on healthcare facilities and providers.
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