Hello Administration/Management Team,
Greetings!
I am Chintan Dave from Gandhinagar, Gujarat. I am 28 years old and I always trust the expert advise and medical guidance of doctors at Apollo from last 3+ years.
Today, with this medium of my blogroll; I would like to share my experience with Apollo Hospital Management, GIDC Estate, Bhat Gam, Gandhinagar.
It was the day of 8th March 2016, when I visited the OPD of Dr. Kashmira Zala, Pulmonology Dept. as I was feeling symptoms of sever respiratory infection and high fever. I visited the place at around 2:15 pm. From the help desk, I came to know that I need to go to the B wing of first floor and need to show up at Billing Desk for consulting charges. After approaching billing desk, and paying my consulting charges of Rs.1000/- I found my way to patient queue to see Dr. Zala.
When I found that only one patient is waiting before my turn to see the doctor, I was glad to be the second in queue as my body was not energetic enough to sit there for a longer time, as I was shivering in cold. I was told by the billing desk while making the payment that Doctor is on lunch break so it may take around 20-25 minutes for her to resume at desk and I was eagerly counting the time.
Almost 45 minutes passed and another 5 patients and their family members/companions joined us in the waiting queue. So we were total just 7 patients there. In a flash I could see Dr. Zala walking through the lobby towards her cabin with the keys. When she turned the keys and opened the door, with all our surprise, the last patient pushed the door and entered inside the cabin for consulting. I was bit disappointed with such behavior of that person but in a parallel way, it was funny as well – that how somebody can be so childish and act so mean at such places! The other patients were expecting the doctor to instruct the intruding patient to come by the sequence but it didn’t happened as there were no sequencing system in the waiting queue and it could be just a question of 10 additional minutes hardly, which was okay for all of us in the waiting line.
As soon as the patient came out of the cabin, another two patient tried to enter in the cabin without bothering about the sequence in the waiting queue. Now, it was a bit shocking for me that situation like this was on going in such hospitals. I searched for the help immediately to the front desk but I found that every single staff member from the front desk/billing desk was on lunch break from B wing of first floor and I was told that they will resume working after almost 1 to 1.5 hours by a ward staff passing by. When I came back on my seat, I found those two patient conflicting each other for their consulting turn were fussing and threatening with abusive words and shouting…!
With cough, cold and shivering, now I was having Head Ache too! I decided to sit on my place till the end of the fuss without participating in it, though it was my number to visit the doctor. I was not having such stamina to participate in that scenario and to fight…
I waited there for another 30-40 minutes and consulted the doctor at last, after witnessing 3 to 4 fights & fuss for their turn to see the doctor. Finally when I was done, I tried to contact front desk nearest to Dr. Zala’s chamber. A young man was resumed to his work after his lunch. With an intense to help in the improvement of process, I shared my experience with him along with the view that there should be a “Sequence System” or “Token System” for the patients who are waiting to see the doctor.
With all my surprise, he replied me, “Sir, I can not do anything in that.”. I said, “I can understand that, but can’t you pass-on the message to your higher authority, who can take the required actions to correct this?” with all of his disappointment, he responded me, “I don’t know – perhaps you should send and email to the management. Still I’m not sure if it can create any difference. It happens daily when we’re on lunch.”
After all hassles, it was completely unexpected from an “Administration Staff” but as I could see there was no back up staff for replacement during lunch breaks and arguments with staff members could never resolve such issues and lack of processes, I decided to dedicate this article to your team and due to my positive approach, I am always hopeful that such situations could be streamlined with proper process and there won’t be any stressful and trouble some environment while consulting a doctor at Apollo Hospitals.
But if strong actions are not taken immediately, I will always have one question in my mind that – “What is the difference between waiting queue process of ordinary Government Hospitals & Premium Care Hospitals like Apollo besides 20 times higher consulting charges of consulting ???”
Hope my experience would help you all to understand a mind set of the patient and the way they feel while seeing a doctor. I can understand that it’s not a child’s play to manage and handle such a big hospital but at minimal, allocating a small coupon with a number on it is not a big deal. (Just like SBI Bank!!).
I am very thankful to you that you spared your time to read this entire experience of mine and if you’re Apollo Hospital Staff Member, I am delighted – Hoping for some actions soon!!
Have a great and healthy time!! 🙂
Note: Featured image credit & copy rights goes to Apollo Hospitals. No commercial purpose is associated with the use of it.
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