Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 21: A demand for extensive patient support before the proposed Online Registration System (ORS) is introduced at G.B. Pant Hospital and ANIIMS has highlighted the need for public awareness, trained staff and assisted access for patients and attendants using the new digital system.
Rakeshwar Lall, State President of Hindu Rashtra Shakti, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has urged the Lieutenant Governor, Chief Secretary, Member of Parliament Bishnu Pada Ray and the Assistant Secretary of the Administration’s AR Wing to ensure that support mechanisms are established before the system becomes operational.
In a representation addressed to the authorities, Lall sought a dedicated awareness programme explaining how patients can use the ORS app, add family members under a single user account and link the system with their ABHA accounts. He also called for awareness about the Driefcase app and its QR code-based token generation facility for appointments.
The representation proposed two separate counters at the hospital, with one handling registration and the other dealing exclusively with appointments. It also sought adequate manpower and advance training for staff deployed at these counters.
Lall further requested a dedicated telephone helpline for registration and appointment-related assistance from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on working days. The proposed facility, he said, would help citizens who are not comfortable using digital platforms access registration and appointment services.
The representation also called for trained volunteers and a permanent help desk near the counters to provide real-time assistance to patients and attendants using the ORS system.
A key issue raised in the letter concerns the unique number generated after registration and appointment. According to the representation, the counter generates a UIDAI-linked number that patients are required to retain for subsequent visits. Lall said the same number would be entered during follow-up visits so that the patient’s treatment history remains linked to a single identity.
The representation also raised the availability of information about the Directorate of Information Technology of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Lall said its physical location and contact details were not readily available either on the ground or through the official website and sought clearer public information to facilitate coordination on digital initiatives such as ORS.
Lall urged the Administration to complete the proposed awareness, staffing, help-desk, volunteer, helpline and public communication measures before ORS is operationalised at G.B. Pant Hospital.
The representation said these arrangements would help patients understand and access the digital registration and appointment process.
