BMC makes biometrics a must to discipline docs arriving late at OPDs

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has directed major hospitals in Mumbai to start their outpatient departments (OPD) at 8am and implement a biometrics system linked to doctors' salaries, following complaints of long wait times. The move aims to reduce patient queues and ensure doctors arrive on time. The registration process will also start earlier at 7am to prevent long queues. Doctors found practising in a private setup during working hours will face strict action. The initiative has already seen a decrease in OPD crowds at KEM Hospital.

Mumbai: After receiving a pool of complaints from patients regarding long waiting periods and doctors arriving late to civic hospitals, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has directed all its major hospitals, including KEM, LTMG, BYL Nair and RN Cooper, to commence their outpatient departments (OPD) sharply at 8am to cut on patient wait time and implement biometrics system, which will be linked to their salaries.

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The directive follows additional municipal commissioner Dr Sudhakar Shinde’s visit to several municipal hospitals on Tuesday, where he observed substantial queues for registration and to consult doctors at OPDs.

In a circular issued by the director of major civic hospitals on Tuesday, all the doctors were informed that their attendance would be linked to their salary. “We received complaints about patients facing long waiting periods in OPDs due to delays in starting the OPD. We have instructed the deans to ensure the biometric system is followed and OPDs are started on time,” said Dr Sudhakar Shinde, additional municipal commissioner.

According to officials, while the hospitals had biometric facilities, it was stopped during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The biometric was earlier not linked to the salary. If the doctor reports late to the OPD, it will now directly affect their salary,” said Dr Neelam Andrade, director of major civic hospitals.

The OPD is manned by senior doctors- lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor and resident doctors.

Dr Shinde said the registration process for the OPD will now start at 7 am so that the patients and their relatives do not have to stand in long queues. Earlier, the registration counter started minutes before the OPD began leading to patients and their relatives running around.

“At KEM Hospital, we implemented the process of starting the registration early and starting the OPDs sharp at 8am from yesterday. We saw a substantial decrease in the OPD crowd. Earlier the OPD used to be crowded even at 12pm. Starting the registration at 7 am allows the patients and relatives to have enough time before proceeding to the OPD,” said Dr Shinde. KEM Hospital alone gets over 5,000 patients in its OPD every day.

The administration said it will take strict action against doctors found practising in a private set-up during the time they should be in the hospital.

Earlier this year, BMC’s KEM Hospital also hired six MBA graduates to help patients and relatives guide them and help the hospital in crowd management. While these managers are placed in the casualty areas to assist the patients and their relatives in navigating in the hospital premises for other services like getting admission done, blood tests, radiological scans etc, help desks for OPD patients were started last month in all hospitals.

“The idea is to reduce the rush in the mornings and as soon as they enter the hospital, they should get medical attention. We will soon start a similar service for the in-patient department,” said Dr Andrade.