When patients get impatient

Long line: Patients waiting from as early as 6am for the Penang Hospital’s outpatient clinic’s doors to open.

OUTPATIENTS, mostly senior citizens, visiting the Penang Hospital are a frustrated lot for having to wait for over an hour before they are able to enter the outpatient clinic.

Among them, S.P. Cheah, 72, said he was at the hospital as early as 6am for a blood test but he could only get into the clinic at 7.15am when its doors open.

“Before January, the clinic used to open at 6.30am and those who came for their blood tests at 6am would finish around 8am.

“This has been the standard practice for many years but since the beginning of this year, patients have to wait till 7.15am for the clinic’s doors to open.

“Then they have to queue up again inside the clinic to register and get their numbers for the blood test,” he said when cotact-ed.

Cheah also said the hospital should put up signages to inform outpatients about the clinic’s new operating hours.

“To make matters worse, there aren’t enough chairs or benches outside the clinic for us. Imagine senior citizens having to stand and wait for more than an hour,” he said.

Anthony Chan, 80, who came at 6am to get his blood taken, was disappointed having to wait until 8.30am before his turn.

Penang Hospital Visitors Board chairman Lim Thoon Deong confirmed that the clinic doors now opened at 7.15am beginning of this year.

“This was introduced with the interest of patients’ safety in mind.

“We cannot let anyone in the outpatient clinic area too early. Our nursing staff and doctors only start work at 8am.

“If anything were to happen to the patients before that, they can sue the hospital,” he said.

The clinic’s operating hours are from 8am to 5pm.

Lim said the hospital would also be allocating 60 chairs for patients along the corridor of the outpatient clinic area.

“I would advise patients who come early to wait at the main reception area if it is too early,” he added.

Lim claimed that notices had been put up at the entrance of the clinic area, informing patients about the change in the opening hours.

“The hospital is trying its best to resolve the problem,” he said.

On another matter, Lim said the hospital’s Outpatient Department (OPD) would soon be phased out.

“During his recent visit to the hospital, the Health Minister had suggested that the OPD be replaced with other usage.

“General practitioners from the OPD will be mobilised to various health clinics. This will make things easier for patients by cutting short their waiting time and solving parking problems in the hospital,” he added.

The current OPD area has 12 rooms and 25 doctors on duty daily.

An average of 900 patients seek treatment at the OPD daily.