It has been revealed that thousands of patients have not received treatment despite receiving token slips at Mayo Hospital, Lahore.
According to details shared with Daily Times, 6,085 token slips were issued on April 9, but only 3,639 patients were registered in the check-up system; the rest were returned sans treatment. On April 10, 4,094 token slips were issued, out of which 1,772 patients remained pending in the system.
It has also been revealed that, in case of electricity breakdown at Mayo Hospital, the available UPS backup lasts only 3 to 4 minutes. The Punjab Healthcare Commission has submitted a detailed report to the court on the non-provision of facilities at Mayo Hospital, Lahore.
The fact that more than 40 percent of patients’ data was not recorded in the computerized system at Mayo Hospital is a question mark over service delivery. According to the report, despite the presence of 144 to 154 doctors in the OPD, patients continued to suffer.
It has also been revealed that 64 percent of patients who underwent check-ups at Mayo Hospital did not receive medicines from the hospital pharmacy. According to the report, out of 3,639 patients checked (treated) on April 9, only 2,664 were prescribed medicines. Of the prescribed medicines, only 63 percent of patients received the prescribed medicines from their doctors. The remaining 37 percent of patients kept going to pharmacies to obtain medicines but had to return empty-handed.
The report reveals that the process of dispensing medicines is severely affected due to a lack of timely entry into the system. As there are only two computers in the surgical OPD, doctors are forced to write prescriptions on the back of thermal slips.
It is a violation of rules for doctors to take pictures of prescriptions from mobile phones and enter data later. Due to the lack of timely data entry in the computerized system, laboratory and radiology matters are also being severely affected. All consultant doctors should be required to enter patient data into the system using their ID. The number of computers in pharmacies and OPDs should be increased immediately, and staff should be trained.
The Punjab Healthcare Commission also sent the report to the Secretary of Health, Punjab, for reforms and action. The Healthcare Commission has submitted the report in the writ petition of the Judicial Activism Panel.