Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) administration claimed on Wednesday announced that patient registration services at HBT Medical College and Dr. R. N. Cooper Municipal General Hospital in Juhu, Vile Parle have been restored, bringing relief to hundreds of patients visiting its Outpatient Departments (OPDs).
Smooth Referrals For Registered Patients
According to the BMC's Public Relations Department (PRO), patients who are already registered are now being directly referred to OPDs without being made to wait for renewal.
The re-registration process is being handled by nursing staff posted in OPDs, while new patients are being registered with the assistance of the hospital’s existing staff. “Patient registration is now functioning smoothly without any undue crowding,” the statement said.
Manpower Crunch Led To Earlier Disruption
The registration counters at Cooper had faced disruption earlier this week due to a severe shortage of manpower. Hospital authorities had flagged that the contracts of several Class IV employees, including data entry and support staff, had lapsed, creating difficulties in handling routine services. With contract workers not available and fresh appointments yet to be finalized, regular employees and nursing staff had to shoulder additional responsibilities.
Doctors Raised Concerns Over Staff Shortage
Doctors at the hospital had also raised concerns about the manpower crunch in a letter to the Dean, warning that if not addressed urgently, critical services like registration, diagnostics, and OPDs would continue to be hit.
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Vacant Posts And Contract Renewals Still Pending
While the restoration of registration counters has eased the immediate crisis, officials acknowledged that filling vacant posts and completing the renewal of contractual staff appointments remain key to ensuring smooth operations at Cooper Hospital in the coming weeks.
