Registration of names through mobile APP emerges as a major problem for poor patients in major hospitals

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, August 21, 2025

The new system of registration of names introduced by the authority of the GBP, IGM and TMC hospitals through mobile APPs for patients in outdoor has emerged as a major problem. This has created completely unnecessary hassles and harassment and wastage of time for patients specially for those belonging to the poorer category.

As per the new system introduced much earlier a patient has to apply for consultation with doctors through a mobile App in all three hospitals . After obtaining a particular number through the mobile download the patient has to reach the token counter in the hospital and obtain the token by showing the number in mobile and then reach the doctor’s chamber. In the TMC hospital where money has to be paid for consulting the doctor the patient is required to show his number in the mobile to the token counter and then make payment for obtaining the token for entering the doctor’s chamber.

But the procedure is not as simple as it appears words because, firstly, most of the hospital-bound patients are poor and do not have Android mobiles that can download the specific App. Even those patients having Android mobiles have to spend a hell of a lot of time at every step for consulting the doctor. Firstly obtaining the number takes a lot of time, depending on the speed of the internet , then obtaining the token from the counters in the hospitals and finally queuing up for entering the doctors chamber for consultation mean a patient needs at least 5/6 hours a day merely to reach the doctor’s chamber.

However, as everywhere else now, an NGO has been engaged by the government for patients without registration through mobile App but that also takes a lot of time . A patient has to approach the counter of the NGO named ‘Abha’ whose staff members register patients and give them a number which has to be produced in the token counter for taking a slip for consulting the doctors. A patient who suffered this time consuming harassment said-‘Abha’ or no ‘Abha’, there is no respite for the patients , wastage of inordinately long time is a must. He said that the state government must revert to the simpler method of visiting hospital and consulting doctors followed earlier , at least until the digital literacy in the state grows

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