ISLAMABAD: For the thousands of patients and relatives who visit the outpatient departments (OPDs) at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) there was good news on Tuesday, as the number of counters for registration slips were doubled.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister of State Sheikh Aftab Ahmed also promised to have water coolers installed at the hospitals of the federal capital.

Some 3,500 patients and their relatives visit the outpatient departments of the hospital each day.

While every patient must wait for a few hours for a check-up at Pims, the race for registration slips starts early in the morning. These slips are required for entering a clinic.

There are 18 OPDs at Pims but only six counters for registration slips. Patients and relatives wait in queues for hours before they are able to get their hands on a slip and then proceed tothe OPD.

A doctor at Pims, requesting anonymity, told Dawn that a number of patients arrive at Pims, a lot earlier than 8am, the opening time at the OPD and begin standing in queues for the registrations slips.

`The situation was the same for the last many years and finally now, the management of the hospital has decided to open new OPD counters to facilitate the patients,` he said.

Pims spokesperson Dr Ayesha Esani told Dawn there eight OPDs on the ground floor and 10 on the first floor.

She said, on average, people had to wait for two hours to register at the hospital because a large number of patients visit the OPDs.

`In the past there were six counters at the ground floor, where patients could get registration slips for the OPDs on both floors.

`However, now five new counters have been opened on the first floor to serve the OPDs there,` she said.

Dr Esani said that fans have also been repaired and donors are being contacting for the funding of air conditioners of eight tons each for the OPD hall. `Hopefully, patients will be served better,` she said.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday MQM Senator Retired Col Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, while speaking at the floor of the house, pointed out that no drinking water is available for patients and relatives in the hospitals of the federal capital. The senator said that water coolers should be installed at the hospitals.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheilch Aftab Ahmed assured the house that he will contact the concerned authorities and ensure that water coolers are placed in different areas of the hospital to provide clean drinking water to patients.