Doctors without queues: Yerevan medical clinics get new electronic registers

An electronic registration system is already in place for 13 medical clinics throughout Yerevan, and by the end of the year, it will be available in all 24 of the city’s clinics. At the moment, once can only book an appointment with a general practitioner or pediatrician.

How the system will work

An electronic system for booking medical appointments has been gradually introduced in the capital’s clinics since the spring of 2019. Since May 3, patients at the St. Gregory medical center have already tried the new system to book doctor’s visits.

Thanks to the new system, patients can register their visit with their general practitioner or pediatrician from their home whenever it is convenient for them. The registration system is available on weekdays from 9:00 to 17:00.

Before a patient is received, his or her medical history is retrieved in the system immediately for the doctor to review, and allows the doctor to save time.

“For many years there have been issues with long queues in our medical clinics and citizens have justifiably complained about the wait. The electronic registration system is just one step to making services more accessible for the public,” Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Sergey Arutyunyan said.

A few minutes before their appointment, patients must go to the registrar and receive a ticket and form; the whole process takes between 15 to 20 minutes.

Comments on social media

Social media users who have not yet taken advantage of the new electronic registration system took the news in a positive light, with comments such as:

“Finally!”

“Very thankful for this! It is really convenient, less stressful and saves you time.”

But those who have already used the new system complain that nothing has changed since the new system was put into place:

“First you need to fix the situation in those clinics where this system has already been implemented, and then start to implement it in others! The system works very poorly! I call to make an appointment, and I get no answer for two days! I go to the clinic and they tell me that there is no availability for the next two days. And when I take the ticket the next day and go to the reception, I still wait an hour or two to see the doctor! Is that a difference?”

“All the same queues, and even more unsatisfied people!” 

“Nothing has changed! In our clinic, you get in the queue and you wait your turn!”

“Interchange doctors among clinics so that it will be possible to come to an appointment and not wait for hours.”

“I’ve already tried to reach the register for a long time and haven’t been able to! Maybe your turn only comes in three months?”

“This is probably how it will be in the beginning, and then it will improve, but for now the system could be better.”