CHENNAI: Poor mobile network connectivity at the Southern Railway Hospital in Chennai is inconveniencing patients and staff, prompting former Telecom Advisory Committee members to seek the Union government’s intervention.

The 505-bed hospital receives around 1,500 to 2,000 outpatients daily and serves as a referral centre for Southern Railway and other railway zones.

Sathiyabalan, former Telecom advisory committee member, has written to Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, urging him to direct Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to improve mobile connectivity across the hospital premises. He stated that repeated requests from the hospital to BSNL had gone unanswered.

According to the letter, patients visiting the outpatient departments face difficulties registering through mobile applications due to poor network connectivity, particularly in the new outpatient department complex. Lab investigations that require one-time passwords (OTPs) generated through online systems and delivered via SMS are also delayed.

The connectivity issue affects doctors and other hospital staff as well, given the large area covered by the campus. Poor network coverage makes it difficult for staff to contact colleagues during emergencies, the letter stated.

“The hospital’s Medical Director had written to the BSNL Chennai Circle twice, in November last year and September this year, seeking improvements in network connectivity. However, no response had been received, even at the Chief General Manager (CGM) level,” Sathiyabalan alleged.

He urged the Union Minister to direct the BSNL Chairman and Managing Director to instruct the Chennai Circle CGM to resolve the issue and ensure reliable mobile connectivity throughout the hospital complex.