DMER forms panel to study extending OPD hours at Maharashtra government hospitals
On June 30, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) in Maharashtra constituted a high-level committee to study the feasibility of extending Outpatient Department (OPD) service hours at government medical college hospitals, including the Sir J. J. Group of Hospitals in Mumbai and the Government Medical College and Hospital in Nagpur. The initiative aims to improve public access to specialist healthcare and reduce the heavy burden on emergency and casualty departments, which currently handle routine cases after regular hours.
Currently, outpatient departments in most government hospitals across the state function only from 8 am to 12 noon. Once these departments close, patients seeking treatment for routine ailments are forced to rely on 24x7 casualty departments. These casualty units are primarily designed to manage emergencies and critical cases, leading to overcrowding when flooded with routine patients in the afternoon.
The newly formed committee has been tasked with assessing the operational, administrative, and manpower requirements needed to extend OPD timings beyond the current four-hour window. The panel will evaluate how to provide specialist outpatient services later in the day and recommend a practical model for implementation.
Dr. Sudhir Medhekar, the Joint Director of Medical at DMER, is heading the committee. The panel also features prominent medical administrators, including Dr. Raj Gajbhiye, Dean of Government Medical College and Hospital in Nagpur; Dr. Ajay Bhandarwar, Dean of Grant Government Medical College and Sir J. J. Group of Hospitals in Mumbai; and Dr. Sanjay Surase, Professor of Pathology and Medical Superintendent at Sir J. J. Group of Hospitals.
Representatives from the Maharashtra State Medical Teachers' Association and the MARD Association, along with senior nursing administrators and other DMER officials, are also part of the panel.
The committee has been directed to submit its detailed report and recommendations to the DMER at the earliest. If the proposal is implemented, it is expected to significantly improve access for patients who cannot visit hospitals during morning hours and streamline the efficiency of public healthcare services across Maharashtra.
