Over 86,000 OPD tokens generated through Scan & Share facility

Irfan Tramboo

SRINAGAR, May 26: The implementation of the Scan & Share facility for Outpatient Departments (OPD) registrations in hospitals across J&K has gained significant traction as over 86,000 tokens have been generated through this digital initiative, which has been adopted by several hospitals, including GMC and associated district hospitals.
According to data obtained by Excelsior, as of May 25, GMC & Associated Hospitals alone generated 54,193 tokens. Notably, on May 25, more than 2,700 tokens were generated through the Scan & Share facility at these hospitals.
A breakdown of the figures reveals that the Super Speciality Hospital in Jammu generated 11,063 tokens, GMCH Jammu generated 13,956 tokens, GMC-Rajouri generated 6,053 tokens, SMHS Hospital in Srinagar generated 7,161 tokens, and GMC-Baramulla generated 2,839 tokens.
Other hospitals also contributed to the total count of tokens generated, including 3,321 at Super Speciality Hospital, Srinagar; 1,324 at GMC, Udhampur; 4,218 at SMGS-Jammu; 1,484 at Govt L.D. Hospital; 673 at Bone & Joint Hospital, Srinagar; 133 at Government Dental College, Srinagar; 199 at Chest Disease Hospital, Jammu; 576 at GMC, Handwara; 339 at Psychiatric Diseases Hospital, Jammu; 85 at Government Kashmir Nursing Home; 376 at Chest Diseases Hospital, Srinagar; 107 at GMC, Kathua; 118 at Psychiatric Diseases Hospital, Srinagar; and 162 tokens at GMC, Doda.
In district hospitals across J&K, a total of 32,344 OPD tokens have been generated through the Scan & Share facility, including 13,983 tokens at Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar, Jammu; 2,316 at DH Shopian; 6,450 at DH Ganderbal; 1,011 at DH Reasi; 1,579 at DH Samba; 618 at DH Budgam; 2,800 at JLNM Hospital Srinagar; 1,179 at DH Poonch; 571 at DH Bandipora; 1,608 at Government Hospital Sarwal Jammu; 153 at DH Kishtwar; and 121 tokens at DH Pulwama. On May 25 alone, over 1,650 tokens were generated for the general public visiting these hospitals.
The initiative, launched by the Health & Medical Education (H&ME) department, aims to digitize healthcare records and streamline the process of availing services. Officials stated that it is part of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), which aims to establish the necessary digital infrastructure for integrated healthcare services and bridge gaps between various stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem digitally.
While the facility has already been implemented in several hospitals, authorities are actively working to extend its coverage to other healthcare institutions across J&K. “The Scan & Share option for OPD registrations aims to reduce waiting times and ensure accurate data collection and we are working to rope in other hospitals as well,” officials said.
They said that the QR codes, a key component of the initiative-introduced by the National Health Authority (NHA) under the ABDM framework-are prominently displayed in waiting and registration areas, allowing patients to easily locate and scan them using their smartphones which expedites the registration process.
About its functioning, the officials said that the hospital’s HMIS uses the information provided and generates a token number for patients, which is sent to their mobile phones.
“Patients can wait in designated areas until their token number is displayed on overhead screens. When a patient’s number appears, the operator retrieves their demographic details using the token number and prints the OPD card,” official said.