Chennai: Patients with conditions such as epilepsy, stroke and spine-related disorders have to wait for at least an hour in long queue in overcrowded corridors outside the neurology department of Govt Stanley Medical College and Hospital to collect the medicines prescribed. On Saturday, more than 200 people were waiting in front of four counters, each of which had one person to accept the prescriptions and hand out medicines. Middle-aged men and senior citizens had to wait at least half an hour to be served. “Most patients come with attendants,” said Ramesh G, 52, who was in the queue for at least 40 minutes. “It is difficult for most patients to join the line. If a patient wants to sit, there are no chairs and no space on the floor,” he said.People cannot step out to drink water or use the restroom without losing their place in the queue. Anifha J, 35, comes to the hospital with her mother. “It’s too cramped to stand inside. My mother finds it difficult to stand for long hours. By the time we finish the examination and come here, she is exhausted,” she said.The neurology department sees 80 to 100 new cases a day in addition to follow-up patients. Patients commonly walk in for conditions such as epilepsy, stroke, peripheral neuropathy, spinal cord disorders and nerve-related ailments. A doctor said the department will address the issue soon to make it more comfortable for patients.Resident medical officer B Vanithamalar said the patient turnout tends to spike on Saturdays. “Neurology department operates only four times a week. Patient load accumulates. We see heavier footfall on weekends,” she said.
