A visit to the outpatient department (OPD) of Patliputra Medical College and Hospital in Dhanbad will no longer cost a morning's work for the residents.

For, the OPD of the state-run heal hub is now open in the evening, too. Though the evening session started Wednesday, very few patients turned up because half of the people are still unaware of this new arrangement.

"Though the number of patients has been very few in each department on the first two days. We expect the patient flow to gear up with the spread of information," said PMCH principal P.K. Senger.

The evening session, available from Monday to Saturday, starts from 4pm and continues till 6pm. Registration starts from 3pm onward.

The arrangement has been made in all the departments, including orthopaedics, ENT, ophthalmology, gynaecology, medicine, paediatrics and psychiatry, to help the coal town residents, particularly working professionals. Speaking to The Telegraph, principal Senger said that the new arrangement would also help doctors dispose of large number of cases and the huge rush during the morning session could be avoided.

Besides, the state-run heal hub also hopes to cope with the acute shortage of manpower. "We are hopeful that the state government will clear the list of 65 contractual doctors that we have sent to the state health and family welfare department recently," said principal Senger.