Factors Associated with Congestion and Overcrowding of Patient in the Outpatient Department and Clinic Department in National Eye Hospital, Colombo, Sri Lanka

ABSTRACT: The   National Eye Hospital (NEH) is the largest referral centre of excellence for eye care in Sri Lanka. Patients from every part of the country come to the NEH for treating various eye diseases and the hospital has been overburdened with the problem of congestion and overcrowding.

Congestion and overcrowding of patients are considered as a critical parameter in the evaluation of healthcare quality, safety, productivity, and patients’ satisfaction towards healthcare services¹.  This study aims to assess patient congestion and overcrowding in the outpatient department and clinic department in National Eye Hospital (NEH) Sri Lanka.

National Eye Hospital provides treatment, training, rehabilitation and social welfare to the patients.  Medical students, post graduate trainers in ophthalmology, ophthalmic technologist are the main categories of that.  Most of the patients attend to the NEH, at least with one by stander. Prompt   attention, availability of investigation facility, availability of drugs and devices, minimum waiting list for surgery and credibility of service provision are the main reasons for attending to the NEH.

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2021 to January 2022 in the OPD and Clinic Department of NEH Hospital.

More congestion was seen during morning compared to the afternoon. It is proposed to separate the OPD, Clinic, A&E and investigation area. Also it is propsed to introduce separate entrance to OPD,Clinic and A&E department.