Awareness about toll-free grievance redressal number has to go up, feels Health dept officials

Kolkata: The health grievance redressal toll-free number ~ 104, which was introduced by the state Health department a few months ago, has failed to bring desired results due to a lack of awareness among the people about the mechanism, feels the department officials.

The main purpose behind launching the toll-free number was to provide a platform so that people can express their grievances relating to health services in all the state-run hospitals, including the medical colleges. The complaint received on the toll-free number is forwarded to the Health department, which in turn checks it with the hospitals and conducts a probe.

But the family members of the patients who are apparently the victims of medical negligence in government hospitals, are found to be unaware about the functioning of the mechanism. Instead of lodging a complaint, the family members often indulge in violence, attacking on-duty doctors and nurses.

Interestingly, very few of the affected victims go ahead and register an official complaint by dialling the toll-free number. It has been learnt from the Health department sources that a majority of the people who bring the charges of serious medical negligence against the doctors, nurses or other health workers in the government hospitals, do not follow the right procedure.

Following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's instruction, the Health department had launched a new mechanism where the patients or their family members can lodge complaints against doctors or any staff for negligence, at all the government hospitals. Banerjee had asked the top brass of the department to put in place a proper redressal mechanism to address the issue of medical negligence.

The system has been functional for quite some time, but the majority of people visiting the hospitals are not aware about the redressal mechanism of the Health department.

When inquired about the redressal system, around six patients and their relatives, out of a total of 20 who visited the emergency and outpatient departments of NRS Medical College and Hospital and the Calcutta Medical College on Monday morning, said that they are aware of the toll-free number, while the rest answered in negative.

People visiting various departments of the hospitals often bring charges of medical negligence, but many such cases are not reported.

It may be mentioned here that a scuffle had broken out between junior doctors and some relatives of a patient, who died of alleged medical negligence at the emergency ward of NRS Medical College and Hospital.

Subrata Santra, a resident of Ghola in North 24-Parganas, had brought his ailing son Sayantan (12) at the outpatient department of NRS Medical College on Monday morning.

Santra said that he is aware of the toll-free number and added that the Health department should address the complaints within a stipulated time. Introduction of the toll-free number will fail to bring desired results, unless the complaints are addressed on time, he said. A local businessman, Santra also said that the state government must ensure wide publicity of the toll-free number in all the government hospitals.