Doctors not clerks assign return dates at Georgetown Hospital eye clinic

Dear Editor,

Management of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has observed a letter from one of your readers headlined ‘Doctors should give return dates for patients not clerks’ (SN, July 4).

Dr George Norton, Head of the Ophthalmology Department, GPHC says that the practice is already in place where doctors and not clerks assign return dates for patients.

The manner in which this is done is that the doctor will indicate an appointment in one or two weeks’ time or indicate an open date, depending on the condition of the patient. The clerk then inserts the actual day based on what is available in that period.

Patients suffering from glaucoma who need a repeat of eye drops are given a date that allows then to be evaluated every three months. Patients, especially those with ‘open’ dates, are advised to return to the clinic with their appointment card whenever they feel it is necessary to do so.

Dr Norton further stated that GPHC provides on an on-call ophthalmic service on a 24-hour basis.

Yours faithfully,

Mitzy Campbell

Public Relations Officer

Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation