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Prayagraj Cantt Hospital launches toll-free OPD appointment service for 7 districts
Prayagraj's Cantonment Board General Hospital launches a toll-free service for OPD appointments, easing access to cashless treatment for seven districts.
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The Cantonment Board General Hospital in Prayagraj has launched a toll-free service for booking OPD appointments, enabling patients to schedule appointments via a toll-free number under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).
Under the new system, patients from seven districts—Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Kaushambi, Chitrakoot, Mirzapur, Bhadohi and Jaunpur—can pre-book OPD appointments, enabling easier access to cashless treatment under PMJAY and the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay State Employees Cashless Treatment Scheme, officials said.
The initiative has been implemented at the Cantonment Board’s General Hospital in the New Cantonment area of Prayagraj.
Archana Verma, chief executive officer (Health) of the State Agency for Comprehensive Health and Integrated Services (SACHIS), Uttar Pradesh, has formally informed the district magistrates of all seven districts about the launch, highlighting its significance in enhancing patient convenience and improving access to healthcare.
Officials said the move is expected to reduce overcrowding at OPDs, streamline patient services, and serve as a model for other government hospitals across the state.
Following the communication from SACHIS— a copy of which is with HT—a toll-free number 1800-1800-4444 has been allotted to the cantonment hospital for OPD appointments.
Currently, 6,147 hospitals across Uttar Pradesh are providing cashless treatment under PMJAY and the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay State Employees Cashless Treatment Scheme. Of these, 3,198 are private hospitals, while 2,949 are government-run facilities.
According to officials, the cantonment hospital management had submitted a proposal to introduce OPD appointment booking via a toll-free number, which was subsequently approved.
Confirming the development, Siddharth Pandey, Director of the Cantonment Board General Hospital, said the initiative aims to spare patients and their relatives the inconvenience of long waits and repeated visits. He added that under both government schemes, facilities are already in place to transport patients from their homes to the hospital and back.
