Chandigarh: The overworked doctors at the PGI are turning to digital “jugaad” to survive a relentless daily tidal wave of more than 10,000 patients in various OPDs. Facing a crushing workload that leaves virtually no time for lengthy counseling sessions, these physicians have taken matters into their own hands rather than waiting for slow-moving institutional software upgrades.Walk into the cardiology outpatient department and you will spot a series of printed QR codes pasted prominently on the walls. Brainchild of cardiologist Prof Rajesh Vijayvergia, these codes instantly link patients to comprehensive diet and lifestyle guides meticulously translated into Hindi, Punjabi, and English. Instead of spending precious minutes repeating the exact same nutritional advice dozens of times a day, the medical team simply directs heart patients to scan the code with their smartphones. If a patient still has questions after reading, the subsequent conversation is incredibly fast and focused, saving massive chunks of time for a department stretched to its absolute limit.Meanwhile, in the endocrinology department, Dr Rama Walia noticed that a vast majority of her patients spent their waiting time scrolling through social media. Meeting them exactly where they are, she began creating short, engaging video reels in Hindi and English that outline critical medical dos and don’ts. By instructing patients to watch these videos, she has successfully automated the repetitive parts of her consultations.“Often the patients have similar queries which becomes difficult to address in the heavy OPDs. Using the social media platform, we hope to provide them a detailed and correct information,” said Dr Walia.While the PGI administration continues to develop its long-awaited Hospital Information System 2.0 software to streamline queue management, these tech-savvy doctors are already successfully using everyday technology to ensure their patients get high-quality care without expanding their already exhaustive waiting times.HOW PGI HAS BEEN ATTEMPTING TO DECONGEST OPDsFor the past three decades, PGI has been relying on the exact same legacy software—an outdated system completely incapable of managing online appointments or providing staggered time slots to patients. While the PGI administration continues to labor over its long-awaited Hospital Information System (HIS) 2.0 software to streamline queue management, the frontline physicians simply could not afford to wait.The crisis is compounded by a larger systemic failure. For years, PGI has been trying to secure support from neighboring states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana to strengthen their own local health systems and filter out unnecessary, non-referral cases. However, these interstate efforts have completely fallen through, leaving PGI to bear the brunt of the region’s medical load.
