SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack to send blood reports to patients' cellphone

CUTTAK:  In what could come as a huge relief for patients, the SCB Medical College and Hospital has decided to send blood test reports to their mobile phones from August 15.

The move will not only alleviate the problems faced by the patients or their attendants in obtaining the reports but also reduce the rush at the hospital's diagnostic centres. They have to often wait for long hours for getting their tests done at the regional diagnosis centre and pathology, microbiology and biochemistry departments.

"We have decided to send blood samples test reports directly to patients' mobile phones from August 15. After getting the proposal approved from Health and Family Welfare department, we are now discussing with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing(C-DAC) and Odisha Computer Application Centre (OCAC) for development of necessary software and creation of required infrastructure," said SCB MCH administrative officer Abinash Rout.

After conducting the tests, reports will be automatically sent to the mobile phones of patients or their attendants and also the ward’s health staff whose numbers are to be provided at the time of collection of blood samples. This will reduce the time towards waiting for blood test reports and enable doctors to start early treatment, Rout added.

Earlier, this year, the hospital authorities had introduced system of online booking of tickets for OPD services as result of which, instead of standing in long queues, patients or their relatives are now being able to book tickets across 32 departments from their homes.

Similarly, the SCB MCH authorities who have started collecting blood samples from patients in the wards of three departments - Orthopedic, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and SCB Mental Health Institute - are planning to extend the facility to all the departments soon to reduce rush at the hospital’s diagnostic centres.