The special consultation service or the off-hour clinic at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) in Thimphu was started with the intention to decongest the Out Patient Department (OPD) during the normal working hours. However, many people are of the view that the service has not met its intended purpose.
The off-hour clinic operates from 4 pm to 7 pm for the five working days of the week. Most people use the service to escape the hassle of long waiting lines.
“We pay Nu 500 and come here. Although we do have to wait for quite a long time, it is worth the wait especially if you are a heart patient, and need to see the specialist,” Raju Rai, one of the patients, said.
“I came here early with my sick mother although the counter opens only at 4 pm. I have been waiting for about half an hour after getting the prescription,” Sonam Choki said.
The hospital’s medical superintendent said if people follow the assigned timing, they can assure a faster service delivery.
“We used to inform the patients to come on specific time. For instance, we give them an appointment at 4 pm, then the next patient we ask to come at 4.15 and then 4.30. But our patients are not able to keep up the appointment time. While some come early, some late,” Dr Gosar Pemba said.
He added the medical certificate for various purposes are also issued during the off-hour clinic. This could be one reason for the long queue. Normally, the hospital accepts only a limited number of patients for the service.
The special consultation service was introduced in 2010 with a consultation fee of Nu 500 ngultrum per person.
