Chandigarh: Patients pained by absence of digital payment options at GMCH-32

Even as digital payment methods are being widely used due to ease of use, security and convenience, Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Sector 32 is yet to fully adopt them at various payments counters, putting patients through needless delays and trouble.

In the absence of digital payment methods, such as UPI and debit/credit cards, patients are forced to bring along cash before approaching registration counters and other fee counters of the hospital.

A visit to the hospital revealed no QR codes at the counter for UPI payments. Thus, while UPI’s acceptance is growing globally, patients at GMCH are deprived of this simple and widely used payment option. Other government hospitals in the city, PGIMER and Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, on the other hand, have been offering digital payment methods for long.

When questioned, Dr AK Attri, director-principal at GMCH-32, said, “UPI payment is available at a few points. We are trying to shift fully to UPI and other digital payment modes.”

Visitors being short changed regularly

Despite the hospital relying on only cash payments, loose change is a rare commodity at GMCH-32.

Consequently, patients and visitors are regularly short-changed at the fee counter and registration windows, where they are told there’s no change available.

Mohan Mohammad, who came with his wife to the emergency ward at GMCH-32 for jaundice treatment, faced a frustrating situation at the registration counter. When he was asked to pay ₹20, he handed over a ₹50 note. Instead of returning ₹30, the staff only gave back ₹20, claiming they had no more change.

This wasn’t a single incident. At the X-ray registration counter, Mohan was asked to pay ₹25 for a chest X-ray. Ashe handed over a ₹50 note, only ₹20 was returned, with the same excuse of no change.

Amit Kumar, another visitor, had a similar experience. When he paid ₹50 for a ₹25 chest X-ray, the staff kept ₹5, saying there was no change available.

Whether it’s ₹10 or ₹5, the money mysteriously vanishes. Patients and visitors are left wondering where all the change goes and why they are being short-changed repeatedly.

Dr Sudhir Garg, medical superintendent of GMCH-32, said, “We accept UPI payments at the academy branch, where medical students use the service. We have the UPI payment system attached to all windows but have not displayed the QR codes as few patients ask for them. The amount to be paid at these counters is anyway very low.”