Heat, hurdles & endless queues: Patients struggle outside Lucknow CHCs, PHCs

The report describes exhausting routine visits to Lucknow's CHCs and PHCs as summer heat blazes. Elderly patients, pregnant women and persons with disabilities wait for hours for OPD registration despite guidelines for priority access. With the Online Registration System (ORS) not yet fully implemented city-wide, many centres rely on manual counters, causing early morning rushes and long queues. Health officials, including Chief Medical Officer Dr NB Singh, say upgrades to the Hospital Information Management System (HIMS) and integration of all CHCs, PHCs and health and wellness centres into a unified digital platform are being pursued so patients can book appointments from home and avoid queues. A QR code-based “scan and share” registration system under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is being piloted at select centres, linking patients to their ABHA accounts, but low awareness and limited familiarity have slowed adoption. At the ground level, patients report inadequate drinking water or shade, no separate queues for disabled persons, and specific testimonies from Rashmi (pregnant, Malhaur, Chinhat), Sohan Lal (65, knee problems, Gudamba CHC) and Salman (polio-affected youth). Officials say digital registration expansion remains a priority, while practical gaps persist; in the meantime, patients are advised to avoid peak hours, stay hydrated and wear light clothing.