Organising hope from the waiting room

In a hospital, time often feels as though it passes more slowly than actual seconds. For a healthy person, waiting may merely be a matter of patience. But for those enduring pain, accompanying a sick family member, or bringing a young child for treatment, every minute carries far greater weight. It is in the waiting room that the quality of public service is truly tested.

That is why, when the Surabaya City Government overhauled the queuing system and pharmacy services at Dr Mohamad Soewandhie Regional Public Hospital, it was not just the service flow being fixed. More than that, the government was striving to restore certainty, a sense of fairness, and public trust in healthcare services.

The move came after various inputs from residents were submitted through the Lapor Cak Eri complaints channel. From that evaluation, a number of issues were identified that appeared simple but had a major impact on the patient experience, ranging from queue backlogs, unclear waiting areas, to lengthy service times for non-compounded medicines.

The city government then responded with more measured improvements, including arranging queues based on arrival time, separating waiting rooms, accelerating pharmacy services, and providing compensation if service time standards were not met.

These improvements serve as an example that the quality of healthcare services is not always determined by constructing new buildings or procuring expensive medical equipment. Small improvements in service management often have an impact that is directly felt by the public.