Evening care coming soon to Chandigarh dispensaries

The proposed evening OPDs will operate for six hours, complementing the existing morning shift (8 am to 2 pm) at health and wellness centres

Chandigarh’s healthcare landscape is poised for a significant shift as the health department awaits funding approval from the UT administration to launch evening outpatient departments (OPDs) in civil dispensaries and health and wellness centres (HWCs). This initiative aims to extend medical services to residents who find it challenging to access care during traditional daytime hours.

Services on offer include pregnancy and childbirth care, and general outpatient care for minor and common ailments. (iStock)

The proposed evening OPDs will operate for six hours, complementing the existing morning shift (8 am to 2 pm) at health and wellness centres. The extended hours will cover three civil dispensaries, 15 urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, and 29 HWCs. This expansion follows a previous, limited evening OPD trial at GMSH-16 in 2015, which addressed faculty shortages by hiring retired specialists. This time, the focus is on hiring young MBBS doctors on a consolidated salary basis to staff the evening shifts.

Concept not new to the city

The concept of evening OPDs originated in the social welfare committee of the advisory council in 2023, championed by Davesh Moudgil and Anamika. Their initial proposal targeted five key locations with a high concentration of daily wage earners, aiming to provide accessible healthcare without requiring workers to sacrifice their daily income. The health department subsequently broadened the scope to include all dispensaries and prepared a comprehensive financial plan for the UT administration’s consideration.

Director of health services Dr Suman Singh said, “We have sent the proposal of running evening OPDs to the UT administration with all the financial implications. Once the administration issues funds, we will start the process accordingly.” Former mayor and BJP leader Davesh Moudgil reiterated the original intent of the proposal, emphasising the need to serve the daily wage population. Additional solicitor general of India, Satya Pal Jain, highlighted the benefits for Chandigarh’s large working population, many of whom work from 10 am to 6 pm.

While the specifics of staffing numbers per dispensary and the availability of evening test facilities remain undisclosed pending final financial approval, the initiative represents a promising step toward a more accessible and inclusive healthcare system for Chandigarh’s residents. Dr Suman chose to not speak on the details of the project as the final nod on finances is yet to be received.