Going by the pass system followed in private hospitals, the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) is all set to introduce the same here so as to avoid overcrowding in the inpatients’ wards. Accordingly, an attender of an inpatient will be issued a pass from January 1.

The CMCH, though having a capacity to treat up to 2,000 inpatients at a time, has always been crowded as the number of attenders for each patient is always more than one.

A higher official from the CMCH said that the pass system would prove very effective in addressing the issue as only one attender would be allowed for a patient. “The card will have the name of the visitor and the patient’s number. It can be collected at the diet section while the patient is admitted,” he said.

The official further added that when a patient wanted to change the attender, the in-charge of the ward should be duly informed so as to get a new pass for the new attender.

Apart from reducing overcrowding, the system would also curb the entry of agents from private hospitals who roam the CMCH to woo patients to their hospitals.

“The entry of infant thieves would also be curbed and the security would be given strict directions not to allow persons without a pass,” he informed.

The passes are to be donated by a private textile firm.