Hospital admission in Patna: what to carry and what to expect.

Before you leave the house

Put everything in one bag that one person can carry. Hospitals move patients between counters, and a bag that stays with the attendant is a bag that does not get lost.

• Identity: the patient's Aadhaar or another photo ID, and the attendant's ID. Keep photocopies as well as originals.
• Insurance or scheme card: the policy card or Ayushman Bharat card, plus the insurer's helpline number saved in a phone.
• Medical history: recent reports, prescriptions and discharge summaries, and a written list of current medicines with doses and timings.
• Referral or appointment note: if a doctor referred you, carry the note. It shortens the conversation at registration.
• Money: UPI works at most counters, but keep some cash for canteens, photocopies and pharmacies that are cash-only.
• Phone and charger: plus a power bank. The admission process can take hours and updates to the family go through your phone.
• Comfort: a water bottle, a light shawl, slippers, a small towel and the patient's spectacles or hearing aid.

The first two hours

The order varies by hospital, but the shape is usually the same: registration, an initial assessment, a deposit or insurance pre-authorisation, then a bed. Someone has to stand in each queue while someone stays with the patient. That is the moment families feel the shortage of hands most.

1. Registration: ID, phone number and a contact person. Note the registration or UHID number; you will be asked for it repeatedly.
2. Assessment: a doctor or nurse records vitals and history. Hand over the medicine list here.
3. Billing desk: deposit or insurance paperwork. Ask for an itemised estimate and keep every receipt together.
4. Ward or bed: ask which attendant pass rules apply, when visiting hours are, and where the nearest pharmacy and canteen are.

Attendant rules to ask about

Every hospital sets its own rules. Ask at the ward desk, and ask again if the ward changes.

• How many attendants may stay, and whether a pass is issued.
• Whether attendants may stay overnight, and where they may sit.
• Where reports are collected, and whether the attendant can collect them without the patient.
• Which pharmacy the ward uses and whether outside medicines are allowed.

Where a Bee fits in

A Trusbee Care Bee is the extra pair of hands: standing in the registration and billing queues while you stay with the patient, collecting reports and medicines, coordinating with the doctor's desk, and sending the family an update after each step. Bees are trained assistants, not medical staff. They never administer medicines or handle your cash, cards or OTPs.

For medical emergencies, call 102 / ambulance FIRST — we provide a person by your side, not medical treatment. Once the ambulance is on its way, book 24×7 Urgent Assist and a Bee meets you at the hospital.

General guidance from the Trusbee team, not medical advice. Rules and processes differ between hospitals; always follow the instructions of the hospital's staff.