Patients are facing considerable confusion following the recent changes to the registration process at the Goa Medical College (GMC) Super Speciality Block (SSB), where the token generation system for Outpatient Departments (OPDs) has been completely discontinued. Under the revised system, patients are advised to book appointments in advance through the official GMC Goa portal. However, even after booking online, they are ultimately required to stand in a queue outside the respective OPD. Walk-in patients must report directly to the offline registration counter or, where applicable, use the dedicated counters for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. While the new arrangement aims to simplify the process by replacing two queues with a single queue outside the doctor's consultation room, many patients remain uncertain about the exact procedure. The GMC Hospital Committee and the Health Department should have carefully assessed the practical implications of this change before implementing it. Better planning, clear public communication, and patient awareness could have prevented the present confusion and inconvenience.
RAJESH BANAULIKAR, Arpora
