The pathology department at Patna Medical College and Hospital. Telegraph picture

Come September, reports of pathological tests conducted at Patna Medical College and Hospital would be a click away.

The authorities have decided to post the reports on the health hub’s portal from the next month. The move is aimed at relieving the patients from the hassle of visiting the hospital time and again for the hard copy of the inference.

Dr R.K. Singh, the deputy superintendent of the institution, said the diagnoses of the patients would be available on the hospital’s website www.pmch.in from September 1. The institution would also provide hard copy of the reports to those who want.

“On many occasions, patients or their relatives have to visit the pathology department several times to collect reports. It will be beneficial if the updates are available online. Patients will be given a unique identification number at the time of tests. Using the number, they will be able to download the report and consult the doctor concerned directly,” said Singh.

He said the service would specifically benefit patients from the urban areas, who have access to Internet. “We have a team to manage and update our website. They will be assigned with the task of uploading the laboratory test results on the website,” he said.

Some people are sceptical if patients coming from remote areas, who are mostly poor and computer illiterate, would benefit from the move.

“Instead of improving the treatment facilities, the government is engaging itself in futile exercises like this. Ninety per cent of the patients coming to Patna Medical College and Hospital are poor. Most of them come from villages and will not even understand what online test result is. What is the use of such a step then? The government and the hospital administration would do better by strengthening the infrastructure and the resources for the patients,” said Jayant Sharma, who had come for consultation in the outpatient department of the hospital.