From April first week, click to fix your doctor's appointment at RIMS, Ranchi. The facility of online registration system (ORS) will be available at the state-run hospital from April first week for patients willing to get examined by doctors at its outpatients department (OPD).
The link for the online system of registration - http://ors.gov.in/copp/appointment.jsp - was introduced to the existing RIMS website http://www.rimsranchi.org on Tuesday afternoon for a trial run.
Dr B.L. Sherwal, director of RIMS, told The Telegraph the ORS link had been given on a trial basis on Tuesday but it wouldn't function for patients right away.
"We are looking at an April launch, when we will also publicise the online system by putting information placards at various places on RIMS," he said. "From April onwards, people willing to go to a specific doctor will be able to register in advance online and can come to RIMS on that specific day, avoiding making unnecessary rounds of RIMS."
Currently, every day, hundreds queue up near RIMS registration counter from early morning, the director pointed out. "It not only makes the hospital very crowded but also poses difficulty for patients who do not hail from Ranchi. For a patient or their attendant from say, Garhwa or Chaibasa, queuing up from early morning is a punishment. So much time and energy go waste for an OPD registration," Dr Sherwal said. "An online system will not only make it convenient for people from far-off places but also manage the crowd at RIMS entry points."
How will the system work? Elaborating on the link developed by National Informatics Centre, he said: "At present people take a registration slip by paying Rs 5 at the registration counter. The same payment will be collected online and the registration number sent to the patient's mobile number."
The online system is also linked to Aadhaar. The patient's Aadhaar number has to be typed on the space provided to identify oneself. If the person's mobile number is registered with a Unique Identification Authority of India (UIADI) database, the person will be directly given an option to select the department where he or she wants to see the doctor.
If a person's mobile number is not registered with the UIADI, he will have to type their name. The site will ask for his mobile number to which his registration number will subsequently be texted. After the selection of the doctor and the day, the site will ask for payment.
For now, they were facing glitches in connecting the payment gateway, Dr Sherwal said. "The tech glitches have been noted and are under rectification. By April, we will be able to start the online system," he said.