Directive for extended OPD hours lauded

By Jaliya WIJEKOON

Sri Lanka occupies an important place in the world in the provision of primary health care services and patient care services to its people.

Although Sri Lanka reports a low per capita income in comparison to many other developed and developing countries, the indices used for the assessment of the quality of health services, including life expectancy and child mortality rates indicate that Sri Lanka is at the forefront in the health field.

That was possible mainly due to the policies and activities carried out by successive governments after independence for the maintenance of free health services in the country.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has accepted through the Mahinda Chinthana program that the Government is committed to strengthen the health care system and ensure the delivery of free health care services to the people of the country.

To further strengthen the delivery of health care services, the President recently issued a directive to the Health Ministry to keep the Out-door Patients Departments (OPD) of government hospitals open round the clock.

The Sunday Observer spoke to Additional Secretary Development, of the Health Ministry Sarath Vithana for information about this new service. He stated that the Minister of Health, Health Ministry officials, doctors and staff of all categories and trade unionists have willingly endorsed President Rajapaksa's directive and executed all modalities to provide this service to the nation.

As an initial step, they will keep the OPDs open from 7.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. daily in all Teaching Hospitals, Provincial General Hospitals and District General Hospitals from November 15. This service will be extended to other hospitals also in the near future. Once this service is streamlined it will be further extended and possibly the OPDs will be kept open round the clock soon.

Director National Hospital, Dr. Hector Weerasinghe, presenting his views on this new service said, "It's a very good suggestion by the President to improve the delivery of health services to the nation. As an initial step we have decided to extend the working hours at OPD's until 8.00 p.m. from November 15 All arrangements in this regard have already been made. "We have shortages of certain categories of medical staff. Therefore, some of the staff members will have to work extra hours in addition to their normal working hours. We have agreed to compensate them for their additional services", he said.

Dr. Weerasinghe said, this will be mainly beneficial to the people in major cities such as Colombo, Kandy, Galle and Jaffna. Most Citizens from low income groups rely on day-to-day earnings for the upkeep of their families. They can now attend to their medical needs after their day's work is over, in the evening.

"We also hope that the influx of patients during the morning hours will be reduced, at least to some extent, when the OPDs are kept open for longer hours. You can see the massive numbers of patients being treated at OPDs during the day in all hospitals in the island, especially at the Colombo National Hospital. There is another reason for people to come to Colombo from far off places in the country for medical treatment. People are still under the impression that the Colombo National Hospital is better equipped in all medical aspects than outstation hospitals.

"All General, Provincial and District Hospitals are now geared to cater to all needs of patients, but this misconception among patients cannot be easily surmounted since it is deeply rooted in their minds. Some people come to the hospital as early as 3.00 a.m. and stand in the queue to obtain numbers. With the new service from the 15th, it will ease the burden for most of these patients who come from faraway places.

"For the OPD to be kept open from 7.00 a.m. - 8.00 p.m., staff members such as nurses, pharmacists, MLTs, radiographers and attendants will have to work probably from 6.00 a.m. to about 9.00 p.m. for the smooth functioning of the extended service.

We hope to roster the staff wherever possible and provide overtime payments to the categories of employees who cannot be rostered due to the shortage of staff in such categories.

"Whatever the difficulties or constraints the employees may have to undergo with this new extended service, it is an admirable measure taken by the President to look after the health care needs of the downtrodden masses of the country."

The Sunday Observer also contacted a few medical officers attached to OPDs of provincial hospitals in the island. Different opinions were expressed by them with regard to the extended working hours.

An official of the Avissawella Base Hospital told the Sunday Observer that the provision of OPD services till late evening is a good move since Avissawella is a suburban area with a substantial population patronising the services of this hospital.

"At the same time, it should be stated that almost all doctors in outstation hospitals are engaged in private practice in the evening. The new extended working hours will deprive the doctors of an extra income which they have been used to earning for a long time. Therefore, the Ministry will have to make some arrangements to increase the income of doctors by way of incentives to compensate for the losses they may suffer by working late in the OPDs of their hospitals.

"Doctors' monthly salaries are not very handsome, but they have to maintain a certain standard of living in society. That is the main reason for doctors to take to private practice during evening hours," the official said.

The Sunday Observer sought the views of Nurses Trade Union Leader Ven. Muruttetuwe Ananda Thera. He commented that the opening of OPDs round the clock was a long overdue move and people should be thankful to the President for the directive.

"Even supermarkets are kept open till about 11 p.m. to cater to the affluent sections of the society. So why not Government hospitals which mainly cater to the downtrodden masses of the country?

The Nurses Trade Union fully supports this move by the President of which the ultimate beneficiaries are the poorest of the poor in this country," the Thera said.