Patients' patience tested at city's lone CGHS wellness centre in Sector 45

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, April 8

Elderly patients visiting the city’s lone Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) wellness centre, located on the premises of the Civil Hospital in Sector 45 here, are a harried lot. A long wait to receive healthcare and at times left unattended by doctors leaves them frustrated.

Expressing his disappointment, Suresh, a retired government employee, said, “I have been coming here for the past three days to take OPD appointment, but have returned disappointed every time. Some patients even queue up early morning so that they don’t return home without being attended to by doctor.”

Surinder, a patient from Baddi, highlighted the challenges faced by those who travel from far-off places to receive healthcare. “We have to come from Himachal Pradesh and even stay here for two-three days if we don’t get an appointment for the day. There are queues at every counter whether to see a doctor or to take medicines from the centre.”

With over 40,000 beneficiaries from the region dependent upon the dispensary, it witnesses a daily footfall of 500-700 patients. The facility has seven doctors, but only four-five are generally available. The OPD remains open from 8 am to 2 pm. Due to the heavy rush, patients have to stand in queues for hours, waiting to receive treatment and purchase medicines.

The number of beneficiaries continues to rise, particularly with the retirement of employees, putting additional pressure on the centre. Patients from far-off places, including Bathinda and Ferozepur, visit the centre and have to spend five-seven days in the city just to take an appointment. The centre is designed to provide healthcare to all Central government employees and pensioners from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. However, the current situation raises questions about the effectiveness of the centre in meeting the needs of the elderly, particularly those who depend solely on it for their healthcare needs.

“The authorities must take immediate action to address the issue by increasing number of doctors and healthcare staff. Moreover, centre must streamline its processes to ensure that patients receive timely and efficient services,” said Vivek, another patient.