How does the appointment book system add extra waiting steps?

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The Appointment Book System Entails Multiple Sequential Queues for Medication Procurement

The Malaysian public hospital system's appointment book method necessitates patients to navigate several distinct waiting periods before receiving medication. This process begins upon arrival, where the appointment book is surrendered, followed by separate waits to be called for payment, to see the doctor, to secure the next appointment date, and finally, to collect prescribed medication from the pharmacy. Each of these stages requires a patient to wait for their turn, contributing to a significantly extended overall visit duration.
Initial Surrender and Number Acquisition

Upon arriving at the hospital, patients are required to surrender their appointment book at a designated counter. Following this initial submission, there is a waiting period of approximately 20 to 40 minutes before their name is called to receive a number, which then dictates their order for subsequent steps. This marks the first of several necessary waits in the process.
Payment and Doctor Consultation Queues

After the initial wait, patients must queue again for the payment counter to prepay their admission fee, a process that can take up to an hour. Once payment is processed, another wait ensues to be called to finally consult with the doctor. This sequential nature of waiting for administrative and clinical services contributes to the overall time commitment for each hospital visit.
Post-Consultation Scheduling and Medication Collection

Following the doctor's consultation, if no further immediate concerns are raised, patients are directed to the appointment desk to schedule their next visit. This step involves yet another waiting period to obtain the new appointment date and have their appointment book returned. Subsequently, the patient must take this book, along with a prescription slip, to the pharmacy, where they will face a final wait to collect their dispensed medication.

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How does the appointment book system add extra waiting steps?

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