Bach Mai Hospital has implemented out-of-office medical examinations from 5-9pm from August 1st for the convenience of patients and to reduce overload.
On July 12, Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Xuan Co, Director of Bach Mai Hospital, said the above, adding that patients can register for examination via the app or call the hotline to make an appointment. The decision to extend examination hours in the evening was made in the context of the increasing number of patients coming to the hospital for examination and treatment. There were days when the number of patients coming for examination was a record high, 10,000 people/day, most of them in the morning, causing congestion.
“Examining patients outside of office hours helps people working in agencies to still be able to go to the doctor without affecting their work,” Associate Professor Co explained. It is expected that patients who see a doctor outside of office hours will still be paid for health insurance according to regulations.
According to Mr. Co, in foreign countries, patients who go to the clinic make an appointment in advance, which is very convenient, but in our country, people do not have this habit, causing local congestion at some times. Most patients mainly go to the clinic in the morning, while the afternoon is less crowded. Therefore, registering in advance will help distribute time and human resources evenly throughout the day, patients do not have to wait, and medical staff will also be less pressured.
Emergency Department A9, Bach Mai Hospital. Photo:Ngoc Thanh
Currently, Bach Mai Hospital receives about 2,000-2,500 calls and appointments online every day. This method helps to spread out the examination time during the day, allowing patients to freely choose the time frame and suitable specialist. The hospital arranges staff to work in shifts, arrive early and receive visitors, and opens some examination tables for 5-6 hours to serve patients, mainly those from far away provinces.
The hospital has also provided medical examination and treatment for patients with and without health insurance cards on both Saturdays and Sundays.
In addition, the hospital has invested in infrastructure, equipment, digital transformation, and cashless payments to reduce waiting procedures and inconvenience for patients.
From July 8, Bach Mai Hospital will no longer print out professional orders (related to imaging and radiation) and from August will no longer print films. By not printing films alone, the hospital and patients will save about 30 billion VND each year. The hospital is also gradually converting to electronic medical records, expected to be implemented throughout the hospital this year.