Kerala's much touted e-HealthKerala scheme promises quick OP-ticket booking system. It does away with the need of queues. At the Radiation Oncology Department of Government Medical College, Kottayam, the system has a hitch. The token is generated online but it is not valid for consulting a doctor.

The staff at the token counter has a hard time convincing those arrive there with online booking. "There is a number on the notebook provided for the patients to record details of consultation with the doctor. The number is required for the booking. There is no field on the website to feed that input. So online booking for Oncology department is invalid," an employee, who sought to remain anonymous, says. "Next time onwards please don't book through online for OPD consultation here. The booking is possible for all other departments, but not here," she adds.

For chemotherapy, or consultation with the doctor one has to be there in person to book an appointment. The almost 2-hour or more long process starts at 8 am and the patient or the caregiver, after obtaining the token, will have wait for another two to three hours more to meet the doctor.

The phone numbers printed on a white sheet pasted outside the booking office are permanently out of order. An optimistic person who ventures to type or take a snap of the number will always be dissuaded by a by-stander or patient. "There is no use, it's always switched off," they say.

An attempt to contact the e-Health Kerala will lead to a vortex of extensions, which all invariably respond with unclear answers.