Scan & Share to be enabled likely soon
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, July 25: After facing criticism due to the lack of facilities for online payments, the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, has finally woken up to facilitating such payments in its Out Patient Department (OPD).
The hospital has introduced a separate counter for generating order numbers necessary for online payment processing, which has come as a relief to patients and attendants, previously facing difficulties in using the dedicated payment gateway due to the unavailability of the required order numbers.
Before setting up the new counter, patients encountered challenges while making online payments as they needed an order number provided by their doctors, who prescribed tests or other medical investigations.
However, logistical issues hindered doctors from generating the necessary order numbers, forcing patients to endure long queues and extended waits to complete their payments, sometimes lasting for hours, prompting the authorities to find an alternative solution.
Dr Farooq Jan, the Medical Superintendent at SKIMS informed Excelsior: “We have opened a new counter where those who wish to make online payments can obtain their respective order numbers. This allows them to use the existing payment gateway without the need to stand in long queues for payments.”
The decision to introduce the new counter was also prompted by the recent backlash, including a patient sharing a video of long queues and criticizing the authorities for subjecting patients to endless waiting, which adversely affected patient care.
Since its commencement at the beginning of the week, the new counter has already witnessed a considerable number of patients benefiting from the service. Patients have expressed their appreciation for the initiative, considering it a step towards greater convenience. However, some individuals have voiced their desire for further improvements in the system.
“While the new counter is a welcome change, we still have to stand in a queue to get the Order Number. It would be even better if we could make payments using a QR code or a similar hassle-free method,” said one attendant.
Regarding the integration of SKIMS software with the ABDM ecosystem, which has faced undue delays for several months, the SKIMS authorities informed Excelsior that they recently held a meeting with the concerned team.
During the meeting, they were informed that the team is actively working on the integration and is likely to enable the facility of Scan & Share Queue Management System at the hospital within a week or so.
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