State serves notice to 13 govt hospitals, seeks clarification
Kolkata: Bengal government has served notice to 13 government hospitals across the state seeking clarification as the referral of patients remained over 7 percent despite clear instructions to lower them.
The state has again directed the superintendents of hospitals and the Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMoHs) in the districts to check the referral of patients. The Bengal government has already taken a strong position on the unnecessary referrals by district hospitals. Instructions have been given to all hospitals not to make an unnecessary referral of patients.
The 13 hospitals that have been served a fresh notice include Bauria State General Hospital in Howrah, South Howrah State General Hospital, Bongaon Hospital in North 24-Parganas, Naihati Sub-divisional Hospital, Panihati Sub-divisional Hospital, Debra Hospital in West Midnapore, Vidyasagar State General Hospital, Bankura Khatra Sub-divisional Hospital, Kandi Sub-divisional Hospital in Murshidabad, Krishnanagar District Hospital, Mathabhanga Sub-divisional Hospital in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri Mal Hospital, Kurseong Sub-divisional Hospital.
Incidentally, the state government is going to make 'e-prescription' mandatory in emergency wards of all government hospitals that will be under direct monitoring of the Health department. One of the main purposes of the move is to ensure no single case of patient referral is carried out unnecessarily.
The state government is committed to check the referral of patients by hospitals that already have adequate infrastructure.
The Health department has already sent the new regulations to the Chief Medical Officers of Health in all the districts giving them direct outlines as to what procedures the medical officers have to follow before the referral of a patient to another hospital.
The new guidelines say that medical officers or doctors have to stabilise the patients before referring them to any other hospital. In case of a referral, the on-duty doctors have to mention the details of patients on the 'e-prescription' and why the patient should be transferred to another establishment.
If any doctor remains absent without prior approval during duty hours despite his/her name being featured on the roster books, the hospital authorities will have to serve a show-cause notice. Accountability will be fixed on the Deputy Superintendent and the medical officer of the hospital if the patient's health condition deteriorates or he/she dies after being transferred to another hospital.
