Coming to Cho Ray for medical examination, people share how to proactively manage time
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu, from Dak Lak province, brought her mother to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for a heart examination for the first time. The two mothers and daughters took a bus to Ho Chi Minh City from the afternoon before. At about 2:15 am, she arrived at the hospital to get a direct number.
Although knowing that Cho Ray is a final-line hospital, with a large number of patients, Ms. Thu is not too worried about waiting time.
“Before, I heard that the hospital was crowded, so I thought I would have to wait a long time. But this time I found the process quite fast, no need to queue for long. When it was my turn, I was called by queue number,” Ms. Thu shared.
According to Ms. Thu, her family chose Cho Ray because this is a large hospital, capable of treating many complex diseases.
Meanwhile, Ms. Mai Thi Tuyet Le, residing in Binh Tri Dong ward, said that she usually proactively registers for examination appointments about 2 weeks in advance through the hospital's application.
On the day of examination, I only need to be present at the clinic about 15 minutes in advance. If I don't have to do more tests or other techniques, the examination process is quite fast. After the doctor's examination, I take medicine and go home," Ms. Le said.
According to Ms. Le, pre-registration helps patients to be proactive in time, limiting having to go to the hospital from dawn to wait for a number.
Many times taking family members for examination, I see that the hospital is always crowded. When there is an appointment on the application, I only need to arrive about 15 minutes before the examination time, saving a lot of time," Ms. Le shared.
More than 8,000 visits per day, the pressure to serve patients is very high
BS.CKII Le Trung Nhan - Head of the Outpatient Department, Cho Ray Hospital HCMC, said that the number of patients over 10,000 visits/day after the recent holidays is not unusual for the hospital. On normal days, the Outpatient Department has received more than 8,000 visits per day.
According to Dr. Le Trung Nhan, before the long holidays, the hospital has proactively allocated re-examination schedules, encouraging patients to re-examine before the holiday or extend the schedule after the holiday. At the same time, the hospital arranges appropriate personnel, limiting officials and employees to take leave in the first week after the holiday to focus on serving patients.
One factor helping to reduce congestion is the online examination registration system. Currently, more than 70% of patients have registered through the application, can proactively schedule appointments in advance and go directly to the clinic. About 60% of patients every day are re-examined, so doctors have grasped the treatment process, helping to shorten examination time.
We also share with patients that the area of the examination area is not wide enough compared to the very large number of patients every day. Therefore, at peak times, the space may be cramped, affecting the patient's comfort. On behalf of the Outpatient Department, I apologize to patients for this issue," said Dr. Nhan.
Currently, the force of doctors participating in medical examinations in hospital areas is about 150 people. Each doctor examines an average of 65-80 patients/day. When the number of patients increases, the hospital has a plan to mobilize more doctors from the inpatient treatment departments to support.
For severe and complex cases, doctors can consult with department leaders or organize inter-specialized consultations to come up with appropriate treatment directions, limiting the situation where patients have to wait for a long time.
Doctor Le Trung Nhan recommends that people should proactively register for examinations through the application and comply with the re-examination schedule scheduled by the doctor, avoiding self-concentration at the hospital at the same time. For common health problems, people can be examined at the initial health insurance registration facility. In case of complex illness or not being assured about their health condition, they can go to the final-line hospital for examination and consultation.
