Mangaluru: The Health and Family Welfare Department is finalising a standard operating procedure (SOP) to curb unnecessary referrals of patients who can be treated at district hospitals or medical college hospitals to specialised hospitals in other districts.
Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru on Monday, Health and Family Welfare Minister UT Khader said he had discussed the issue with the Medical Education Minister.
Citing the example of Wenlock District Hospital in Mangaluru, Khader said patients from other districts were also being referred to the hospital.
“Why should a patient from Chikkamagaluru come here? What do the doctors there do? Many times they simply refer patients here. The same is the case with Shivamogga, despite the presence of McGann Hospital. Patients also come from Chitradurga, Madikeri and Davangere. There should be a system under which only complicated cases are shifted to other hospitals, and not every case,” he said.
“We are planning an SOP for this. I have spoken to the Medical Education Minister. Only complicated cases that cannot be treated at a place should be referred to other hospitals. Hospitals should handle cases within their capacity. Small cases should not be referred to hospitals in other districts,” he said.
Khader said the government was also strengthening taluk hospitals by providing doctors and intensive care unit (ICU) facilities to reduce the need for unnecessary referrals.
“People queue up at NIMHANS because it provides good treatment. The same is the case with Kidwai and Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital. When a hospital provides good services, people naturally come there,” he said.
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