Pims automated prescription system falls prey to patients’ burden
ISLAMABAD, Feb 3: Enormous burden of patients has failed a new automated system at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).
The system called ‘one patient one identity’ has been introduced with good intention as it is being implemented in most of the private hospitals of federal capital.
Muhammad Naeem, a resident of Islamabad, said that he went to the hospital along with his wife and managed to get the outpatient department (OPD) slip but after reaching in the OPD he came to know that a doctor will have to type details of the patient and then will print the prescription.
“It was quite impressive for me as it is practiced in private hospitals. However soon my excitement turned into disappointment as almost 10 patients were in the room of the doctor and he was looking puzzled as he had to enter the identity number of each patient and then type medicines for them,” he said.
“In the meantime, attendants of two patients argued with the doctor that he was taking too much time and then they exchanged heated arguments. As situation was quite awkward so I suggested my wife that we should leave and will visit some other day,” he said.
A senior doctor of the hospital, wishing not to be quoted, said that the ‘one patient one identity’ system was started almost two weeks back.
“We have been trained but majority of us are familiar with the system as it is being practised in private hospitals where they also work in the evening,” he said.
“I also sit in a private hospital four days a week but I usually get around 15 patients in a day and give 10 to 15 minutes to each patient. As only one patient enters in my room [at a private hospital] so I can easily listen to the problem, type them and print a prescription as printers are also kept in the room,” he said.
“However in Pims we get over 500 patients at each of OPD daily. I usually get over 200 to 250 patients in a single day. As more than five and sometimes 10 patients remain present in the room simultaneously, it becomes difficult to listen to each patient, type issues and finally send a print,” he said.
He said that although computers have been provided to doctors, there was only one printer in each OPD to which all doctors send their prints.
“As we usually get illiterate patients so there are strong chances that one patient’s prescription can be given to another. So practically we have reached to the conclusion that the automated system cannot function in Pims due to patient load,” he claimed.
Pims Executive Director Dr Rana Imran Sikander, while talking to Dawn, said that it was a project of Ministry of Information Technology and was being implemented in the hospital.
“It is a fact that Pims has no comparison with any private hospital as we get 7,500 patients in just two to three hours. However, we have been trying to address the issues as an automated system will address most of the issues and one of them was that doctors will save prescriptions for future use. This will reduce the financial burden of hospital as well as patients,” he said.
“On Monday, I held a meeting with the heads of departments (HoDs) to address the issues. We are also using manual system simultaneously but as we have got 750 computers so we want to completely switch over to an automated system. Computers have been placed in OPDs, wards and other sections,” he said.
“It will become possible to do accountability through an automated system. Moreover, I am trying to ensure that over 80 per cent of indoor patients will get free medicines,” Dr Sikander said.
Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2025