FROM A REPORTER
SHILLONG, July 4: State Health and Family Welfare Minister AL. Hek today iugurated the Online Registration System (ORS) at Shillong Civil Hospital here.
Speaking on the occasion, Hek appreciate the Civil Hospital Shillong for being the first hospital in the State to start the online registration system for providing online services to patients for facilities like outdoor patient department appointment, lab reports etc.
Later while speaking newsmen, on aadhar number which is an option for the patients while using the facility of ORS, he said, “Getting an aadhar card is like applying for ration card, EPIC card or driving license.”
The minster informed that a help desk will be set up in the Hospital premises to facilitate the system. He expressed hope that the online registration will reduce the waiting time of patients and help the hospital to deliver health care services promptly and effectively.
He informed that to avail the facilities of ORS, the patient must produce aadhar number or mobile number.
He said that new patients without aadhar number can take online appointments but should have mobile numbers and the patient can get confirmation through SMS on their registered mobile numbers.
When asked whether rural folks can grasp the notion of online booking as they are not computer literate, Hek said, “It’s a slow process and for now it is only the introduction. Most people don’t even know how to use mobile phones when it was first introduced. ORS is similar with the way people operate mobile phones.”
T Dkhar, SIO, NIC, Shillong in his speech said that the Shillong Civil Hospital is the first Health institution in the State to join the eHospital platform.
He also informed that the common patient portal of eHospital platform developed by tiol Informatics Centre (NIC) is easily accessible over internet at http://ors.gov.in, which aids hospitals to provide various online services to patients such as online OPD appointment, viewing of lab reports, availability of blood in blood banks etc.