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Soon, doctor’s consent will be necessary for physical consultation at PGIMER
PGIMER has also asked hospitals under the jurisdiction of Chandigarh health department to seek consent before referring patients to the institute
Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research is planning to make prior consent by doctors through tele-consultation necessary for physical consultation in the outpatient departments (OPD).
After the institute shut down OPDs post the coronavirus pandemic, the institute had launched tele-consultation services for patients seeking advice.
PGIMER spokesperson Dr Ashok Kumar said that the institute’s new OPD model could be an example for other hospitals to follow.
On Monday alone, PGIMER received close to 800 calls for tele-consultations services and those requiring more medical attention were given slots for physical examination.
“The service has picked up. The number of people calling for our services is gradually increasing. We are working on making it a permanent process for the future,” Dr Kumar said.
Dr GD Puri, dean, academics, said the tele-consultation service was a hassle-free approach for a tertiary care institute like PGIMER. “It is beneficial for patients as well as doctors. A patient does not need to be present here and will be called only if there is a need for a physical examination,” he said.
He added that patients with referrals from the other hospitals will not need to go through this process. However, struggling with the huge rush of patients at the emergency ward, PGIMER has asked hospitals under the jurisdiction of Chandigarh health department to seek consent before referring patients to the institute.
