Cuttack, April 26: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute for Paediatrics, popularly known as Sishu Bhavan, has introduced an online ticket registration system for patients coming to its outpatient department (OPD).

The new system is likely to resolve the issue of waiting for patients at the two dedicated counters for registration at the hospital. It will especially be beneficial for the hundreds of patients who come here for treatment from remote areas.

"We have been running the online ticket registration for the OPD for the past two days and hope the new facility will be helpful in ensuring timely treatment of the patients coming from remote areas in the state," said hospital superintendent Saroj Sathpathy.

Another official said that to avail the facilities, the patient parties would have to register themselves through www.ors.gov.in. A text message alert will be send to them after they register themselves through the online registration system.

A special counter has been set up near the hospital's existing OPD registration system for this purpose.

The sources said that a printout of the registration ticket would be issued to the patient once they produced the code sent on their phone through text message.

This will save time, particularly for those patients coming from outside Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

More than 300 patients turn up at the outpatient department at the hospital every day. "Earlier, we had to wait for nearly two hours to consult a doctor after registration at the OPD block. But now, we can book a ticket sitting at home. This will save us a lot of time," said Umesh Yadav, the attendant of a patient.

A senior Sishu Bhavan official said efforts were on to improve the existing facilities at the premier state-run hospital in the city.

The hospital has already procured 25 warmers, eight photo-therapy machines and other equipment worth Rs 15 lakh after a fire at the newborn block damaged many valuable instruments on November 29 last year.

Sources said a bidding process was on for procurement of advanced equipment worth more than Rs 5 crore, including advanced monitors, ultrasound machines and laboratory equipment.

"Our focus now is on procurement of advanced equipment for providing better medical services to patients at Sishu Bhavan. We hope that the advanced equipment will be available at the hospital after completion of the bidding process within the next couple of months," Sathpathy said.