PGH Online Appointment Guide 2026: How to Book at Philippine General Hospital

Quick Answer: New patients at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) have two official ways into an OPD consultation: request an appointment online through OCRA (Online Consultation Request and Appointment System) at ocra.pgh.gov.ph (the older address, pghopd.up.edu.ph, redirects there), or walk in to the clinic you need. A walk-in is seen that day only if the clinic has room; otherwise you get an appointment slip for a later date. PGH's Citizen's Charter lists a referral from another department or institution as a requirement for most walk-in clinic consultations. A valid ID is needed for registration, and the clinic nurse gives you a Kaalaman Form to take to Counter-C of the OPD Admitting Section for your Blue Card.

About this guide: Steps below come from PGH's own Citizen's Charter PDFs and website (pgh.gov.ph), read in October 2026. Processes change, so PGH's trunkline is the authoritative check.

Table of Contents

• What is OCRA?
• How to book a PGH appointment online through OCRA
• How to get an appointment by walking in
• What do you need to register as a new patient?
• Do minors need anything extra?
• Is a referral letter required?
• How to contact PGH's OPD
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Conclusion

What Is OCRA?

OCRA stands for the Online Consultation Request and Appointment System, PGH's official channel for outpatient consultation requests, and PGH's home page links to it at ocra.pgh.gov.ph. PGH's Citizen's Charter says OCRA lets patients request outpatient consultations online and receive schedules from the appropriate clinic without needing to visit in person. OCRA is open Monday to Friday, 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM (except holidays), and the system accepts a maximum of 500 consultation requests a day. Once the daily limit is reached, you are asked to submit your request on the next working day. The other path is walking in, covered below.

PGH is a tertiary government hospital with a very high patient volume. Rather than requiring every new patient to physically line up to even find out which clinic they need, OCRA lets the hospital's own staff review a request first and route it to the right specialty clinic before the patient shows up. That distinction matters: OCRA is a request-and-routing system, not an instant-booking calendar where you pick your own date and time slot.

If you're not sure whether you need PGH specifically or another government facility might work, it's worth checking our guide to finding a government hospital near you before starting either process below.

How to Book a PGH Appointment Online Through OCRA

The Citizen's Charter describes the online path as a request that moves through PGH's own records and clinic-assignment process rather than a self-service booking calendar:

1. Sign up and register at ocra.pgh.gov.ph (the older pghopd.up.edu.ph address redirects there). The charter allots 2 minutes for sign-up and 3 minutes to fill in your personal details and consultation request.
2. Submit your consultation request. PGH's nurse reviews and triages the case by severity and directs it to the appropriate clinic. PGH's records staff also check whether you already have a case number and encode you in the system if you do not.
3. The clinic assigns your schedule in PGH's RADISH system (Registry of Admission and Discharges).
4. Wait for a text message (SMS) with your schedule and instructions. For a new patient, the clinic schedules a face-to-face consultation.

Because the clinic reaches out to you by text rather than the system generating an instant confirmation, register with an accurate mobile number. The Citizen's Charter puts the total processing time at 24 to 72 working hours plus about 5 minutes of your own time, so budget more lead time than you would for a same-day booking system.

How to Get an Appointment by Walking In

If you'd rather not wait for a text, PGH's Citizen's Charter also documents a walk-in path. It is not guaranteed: each clinic first checks whether it can take walk-ins that day, and if it is at capacity you get an appointment slip for a later date. Most walk-in procedures also list a referral from another department or institution as a requirement. If the clinic can see you, registration runs through Counter-C at the OPD Admitting Section:

1. Proceed to the receiving clinic's nurse station, where patients without a Blue Card are given a Kaalaman Form to fill out and take to Counter-C.
2. Bring the form to Counter-C, OPD Admitting Section, for registration.
3. A Blue Card is issued — this is your PGH patient record card.
4. Proceed to your assigned clinic with the Blue Card for your consultation.

The Citizen's Charter of PGH's Health Information Management Division lists a total processing time of 20 minutes for the walk-in registration at Counter-C: 10 minutes to check your form and 10 minutes to encode your details and issue the Blue Card. That figure covers registration only, not the clinic queue itself.

What Do You Need to Register as a New Patient?

For new-patient registration at the Department of Outpatient Services, the Citizen's Charter lists two requirements: an online appointment through OCRA and the patient's valid ID. For walk-in consultations, most clinic procedures list a valid ID (or a written name if you have none) and a referral from another department or institution, issued by your referring physician. The charter says the clinic then checks whether it can take you that day. If you do not have a referral, register through OCRA or call the trunkline below to ask about your clinic.

Do Minors Need Anything Extra?

Yes. The Citizen's Charter says minors, and patients who are mentally incapacitated, should be accompanied by a parent or guardian during consultation.

Is a Referral Letter Required?

It depends on how you come in. Registering through OCRA does not list a referral letter among its requirements: you need an online appointment and a valid ID. For walk-ins, most clinic procedures in PGH's Citizen's Charter list a referral from another department or institution. Requirements differ by clinic, so confirm yours by calling the trunkline below before you go.

How to Contact PGH's OPD

For anything the Citizen's Charter doesn't cover — confirming a submission went through, checking on a case number, or asking about a specific clinic's schedule — PGH's official trunkline, which connects you to the hospital operator, is:

+63 2 8554-8400, staffed 6 AM to 10 PM daily.

This is the number to call if you registered through OCRA and haven't heard back within a reasonable window, or if you want to confirm requirements before making the trip for a walk-in registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is OCRA at PGH?

OCRA is the Online Consultation Request and Appointment System, PGH's official online channel for outpatient consultation requests. You sign up at ocra.pgh.gov.ph, PGH's nurses review and triage your request (24 to 72 working hours, per the Citizen's Charter), and the clinic you are assigned to sends you a text message with your schedule. OCRA is open Monday to Friday, 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, except holidays, and takes a maximum of 500 requests a day.

How long does the walk-in process take at PGH?

The Citizen's Charter lists a total processing time of 20 minutes for the Counter-C walk-in registration path, from arrival with your Kaalaman Form to being cleared to proceed to your assigned clinic. That covers registration only, not the clinic's own queue.

Do I need a referral letter for my first PGH appointment?

Not for OCRA. The Citizen's Charter lists an online appointment and a valid ID for new-patient registration. For walk-ins, most clinic procedures list a referral from another department or institution, so ask the clinic or call the trunkline first.

Can minors register on their own?

No. The Citizen's Charter says minors, and patients who are mentally incapacitated, should be accompanied by a parent or guardian during consultation.

What happens after I submit a request through OCRA?

PGH's nurses review and triage the request, records staff check whether you already have a case number and encode you if not, and the clinic you are assigned to sends you a text message with your schedule. For a new patient, the charter says the clinic schedules a face-to-face consultation.

Where exactly do I go for walk-in registration?

Counter-C, at the OPD Admitting Section. New patients are first given a Kaalaman Form at the receiving clinic's nurse station, which is then processed at Counter-C to issue a Blue Card before you proceed to your assigned clinic.

What number do I call to reach PGH's OPD?

+63 2 8554-8400. This is PGH's general trunkline, and the operator answers any day from 6 AM to 10 PM.

Can OCRA get me a teleconsultation instead of an in-person visit?

The Citizen's Charter we read describes face-to-face consultations for new patients scheduled through OCRA, and it does not mention teleconsultation. PGH's own Telemedicine page says it is under development. Ask the clinic that texts you.

Conclusion

PGH gives patients two official paths in: request an appointment online through OCRA at ocra.pgh.gov.ph and wait for your assigned clinic to text you, or walk in to the clinic you need and, if it can take you that day, register at Counter-C for a Blue Card in a stated 20 minutes. OCRA needs an online appointment and a valid ID, while most walk-in clinic procedures also list a referral. Minors should be accompanied by a parent or guardian during consultation. For anything not covered here, PGH's trunkline (+63 2 8554-8400, 6 AM to 10 PM daily) is the authoritative check.

Once you're registered, you can look up what to expect cost-wise in our PGH rates and fees guide and PGH laboratory price list. If affording care is a concern regardless of where you end up, our Malasakit Center guide explains the one-stop assistance desk available in many government hospitals. To search other verified facilities directly, use ClinicFinderPH.