Taiwan hospital assigns last spot to patient arriving one minute late, causing 4-hour wait

A patient in Pingtung, Taiwan, experienced an almost four-hour wait for an orthopedic appointment after arriving just one minute past the check-in deadline. The woman, identified by the surname Lu, had booked appointment number 66 online for the Department of Orthopedics at the Pingtung Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Believing she had ample time before her midday appointment, Lu departed her home at 10:30 AM. She arrived at the hospital's registration desk at 11:31 AM, only to be informed by a nurse that she had missed the check-in window. As a result, she was assigned the last available number, beyond 70, forcing her to wait until approximately 3:30 PM to see the doctor.

Lu expressed frustration with the hospital's administrative efficiency, feeling that patients' time was disregarded. She noted that while she understood doctors were busy, the bureaucratic process at a public hospital seemed inefficient compared to private institutions. She was unaware of the specific check-in time limit as it was her first visit and she had not seen the notice on the website.

The hospital explained that the number of patients seen by each doctor varies daily, and orthopedic consultations often require extensive examinations, leading to longer wait times. They acknowledged that doctors frequently work through lunch breaks. The hospital stated that check-in time regulations are posted on their website and are part of their standard operating procedure, making it difficult to change. They requested patient understanding regarding the extended waiting periods.

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The doctor is very hardworking, seeing many patients, but the hospital's consultation method is too bureaucratic. Non-public hospitals control time, but national hospitals disregard patient time. Seeing a doctor takes nearly 4 hours of waiting, and the administrative process is too poor.