Clinic trials anti-scalping scheme

Patients are now able to make an appointment up to three days in advance at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, a new policy to ease the mass queues in the morning and crack down on scalpers who illegally sell appointments.

The policy is undergoing a week-long trial starting Sunday, after Peking Union, in Dongcheng district, began a 24-hour appointment registration service on August 19. Registration counter staff will be able to make appointments from 8 pm for the next three days.

At the hospital on Monday afternoon, several dozen people were waiting for an appointment at the outpatient department, much fewer than normal.

In contrast, over 1,000 people were waiting for an appointment at Peking Union at 9 pm Sunday night, reported the Beijing Times Monday.

The hospital opened two areas by the main building for patients to wait.

"I arrived around 1 pm today, so I can be at the head of the queue. I don't know whether it will be easier to make an appointment than before, but at least I don't need to stay here for a whole night," said a woman surnamed Liu, who was making an appointment for her parents.

The hospital's security department confirmed Monday that police officers have been sent to the hospital to deal with scalpers, who charge often large sums of money to sell appointments for the best doctors.

"More than 90 people have been listed as scalpers and more than 10 people have been put in detention," a woman working at the security department told the Global Times.

However, the new policy has caused an increase in the fees the scalpers charge. A scalper told the Global Times the fees have increased from 300 yuan to 400 yuan ($47-63) for a registration ticket. To book an appointment with a senior doctor at Peking Union usually costs 14 yuan.

"It's more difficult to make an appointment now. The cost is higher, so we charge more," said a female scalper, who refused to give her name.

Yu Ying, a doctor from Peking Union, said that although the hospital is sincerely trying to make the process of booking an appointment easier, the new policy will probably not be effective in solving this issue.　

"We haven't increased the number of tickets for patients, but only changed the time when they can make an appointment, so it won't change the difficulties they have in making one," she said.

The best way, she suggested, is to speed up the establishment of community hospitals, which can help share the burden of large hospitals.