Simplify appointment token system at GMC: Assn

Panaji: The Senior Citizens Welfare Association for St Cruz on Wednesday asked the health minister and GMC dean to simplify and improve the token system of appointment procedure for the super speciality block (SSB) at GMC.

After receiving complaints from senior citizens facing difficulty getting appointments, the association members visited the SSB at 8am on Wednesday. They found that under the prevailing system, patients were forced to queue up as early as 4am, with some spending the previous night to secure an appointment.

“Simplifying the appointment token process is essential to reduce time wastage for patients, particularly for those with chronic illnesses and those travelling from far-flung areas like Canacona, Pernem, and Valpoi. Many patients complain that the present system is troublesome and time-consuming,” the president of the association, John Nazareth, stated in a letter to the health minister, Vishwajit Rane, and the dean of GMC.

The association suggested adopting a system where patients can call a mobile number to get an auto-generated telephonic token number for the required department, similar to the system adopted by gas agencies. “Patients can then display their token numbers on their mobiles in the respective departments on the specific days,” the association further stated.