Chandigarh, Feb. 25 -- In line with the directions issued by UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, an evening outpatient department (OPD) has started atGovernment Multi Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, from 5 pm to 7 pm. The facility offers services in medicine, surgery, orthopaedics, paediatrics and gynaecology. The initiative will later be extended to civil hospitals.During the trial run on the first day, Tuesday, 25 patients were attended to. In 2015 too, GMSH-16 had started an evening OPD for two hours from 5pm to 7pm in view of a faculty crunch. Retired doctors were hired for the same. During his visits to various healthcare facilities across Chandigarh, Kataria observed the need to further strengthen health services in government hospitals, particularly by ensuring the availability of specialist doctors to enhance patient care delivery. The administrator was of the view that hospitals must function as robust secondary healthcare centres, capable of providing accessible specialist services to the public. This would help reduce unnecessary referrals and ease the patient load on tertiary care institutions such as GMSH-16, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector-32 and Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research....