To control referrals, health dept stresses on e-filing of patients' data
Kolkata: In an attempt to check unnecessary referral of patients by hospitals and also to ensure that no patient faces difficulties while getting admission to government hospitals, the state health department has given the utmost emphasis on 'E-filing' of patients' data on Swasthya Bhawan's portal by hospitals. It would be a centralised system that will maintain the patients' data.
The main objective of the move is to keep a direct tab on the activities of hospitals. The Health department has already directed principals of various medical colleges to upload patient-related information on the department's portal in case of a transfer. The medical colleges and hospitals have to furnish on the portal the details as to why the patient is transferred and where he/she has been referred to. Some details about the patient's treatment will also need to be uploaded.
The hospitals will also upload the number of ambulances or vehicles which are taking the patient to the other hospital. All the principals of medical colleges have been asked to implement the directives on an emergency basis. A senior official of the rank of assistant superintendent will be the designated officer in each medical college who will coordinate the programme. The assistant superintendent will also ensure that the patient is secured regarding admission to another hospital in case of a transfer.
Till now, in case of patients' referral, the hospital which is referring the patient does not mention the name of the other hospital where the patient will go. As a result, the patients and their family members often face difficulties while getting admission. As per the new directives of the health department, the hospitals will also have to upload information on the portal about the critical surgeries they undertake.
The Bengal government is also going to make 'e-prescription' mandatory in emergency wards of all government hospitals which will be under direct monitoring of the health department. It will also help the government ensure that no single case of patient referral is carried out unnecessarily. The state government is committed to checking 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 will have to follow before the referral of a patient to another hospital.
Chief Medical Officers of Health in the districts have been urged to enforce the new regulations set by the health department. Hospital Superintendents will have to put the rosters of on-duty doctors on display in the hospital so that patients and their family members can see their availability. According to sources in the health department, those who will be found flouting any of these new regulations can face punishment as per the service.
