Pulwama, Feb 3: Elderly patients visiting District Hospital Pulwama are facing severe hardship due to prolonged waiting times at OPD ticket counters, highlighting serious gaps in patient care and the hospital’s preparedness to cater to senior citizens.
Many aged patients, already struggling with chronic illnesses and age-related ailments, are forced to stand in long queues for extended periods merely to obtain registration slips. For several, prolonged standing proves physically exhausting and medically unsafe, often aggravating their condition even before they consult a doctor.
The growing dependence on digital registration has further compounded the problem. Most elderly patients are unfamiliar with smartphones, QR codes, and mobile applications, leaving them confused and reliant on attendants or strangers for assistance. While digital systems are intended to improve efficiency, they have inadvertently excluded senior citizens who lack access to or understanding of such technology.
Attendants accompanying elderly patients said the system fails to accommodate their special needs. “Many elderly patients cannot stand for long or operate smartphones, yet there is no alternative arrangement for them,” one attendant said.
District Hospital Pulwama, which handles a heavy daily patient load, lacks a separate or priority counter for senior citizens. As a result, a routine hospital visit often turns into an exhausting ordeal, raising concerns over dignity and humane healthcare delivery.
Local residents and patients have appealed to the Deputy Commissioner Pulwama and the Chief Medical Officer Pulwama to intervene urgently. They have demanded the introduction of a dedicated or priority OPD counter for senior citizens to ensure quicker, respectful access to medical services.
Such a measure, they said, would ease suffering, restore dignity, and reflect a patient-centric approach in the public healthcare system. Immediate administrative action could spare elderly patients unnecessary pain and distress.