The Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, has reportedly introduced a dedicated queue exclusively for senior citizens, mainly to ease the challenges faced by them during the registration process. Additionally, it is learnt that a separate counter has also been set up to give preference to senior citizens holding a priority card for the Outpatient Department (OPD).
A Public Relations Officer (PRO) will reportedly be present to guide senior citizens to their respective OPDs for check-ups and necessary investigations. These facilities need to be provided not only at GMC but should also be made available at government hospitals across the State since senior citizens visit other government hospitals as well. As per statistics, elderly citizens now constitute half of the hospital inpatient population.
Elderly persons may have multiple health issues, could be malnourished, and may have impairments. These older adults are at great risk of suffering hospital-associated discomforts. Be that as it may, at a time when Information Technology (IT) is being used extensively in numerous aspects of the healthcare delivery system, why not introduce a system wherein senior citizens can register online at government hospitals from the comfort of their homes instead of having to wait in line, even if it is a dedicated queue? Senior citizens can upload their Senior Citizen card while booking an appointment online at a hospital.
