Cuttack: In a move to reduce the long queues and overcrowding at the OPD (Outpatient Department) counters of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics, popularly known as Sishu Bhawan, the hospital has introduced an online ticket booking system.

From now on, patients will no longer need to wait in line for hours to get an OPD ticket. Instead, they can book tickets from home up to 16 days in advance through the Odisha Government’s official health portal: eswasthya.odisha.gov.in.

According to hospital sources, around 700 to 800 patients visit the OPD counter daily, leading to heavy crowding. To streamline the process and reduce pressure at the counters, the online system has been introduced. In a trial run over the past two days, 20 patients have already booked tickets in advance for consultations.

To book a ticket online, users must visit the portal and select the hospital name, department, date of consultation, and preferred time. They must then provide patient details and a valid mobile number. Upon registration, an OTP will be sent to the number, which can be used to print the OPD ticket from the hospital kiosk on the day of the appointment. The ticket allows the patient to consult their chosen doctor.

The website also provides information on which doctors are available on which days, allowing patients to plan their visits accordingly. While general medicine and surgery OPDs run daily, speciality departments operate on fixed days: Cardiology on Mondays, Nephrology on Wednesdays and Fridays, Neurology on Fridays, and Psychiatry on Saturdays.