PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
With the recent changes in referral procedures for patients, the Deen Dayal Upadhyay District Hospital has witnessed a 50 per cent decrease in referral cases. It is important to mention that earlier the Principal Medical Superintendent (PMS) of the hospital, Dr Manu Jain had informed that upon receiving directives, the hospital administration promptly took steps to comply. He convened a meeting with the doctors at the district hospital to discuss the new procedures. During this meeting, the doctors were instructed to ensure that unnecessary patient transfers from the hospital to other facilities do not occur.
Apart from this, Jain stated that the hospital administration is committed to utilising all appropriate resources available at the district hospital to prevent unnecessary referrals. Doctors are now required to personally consult with him before making any referrals, allowing him to assess each case individually and ensure that referral decisions align with the patient’s condition. He has also established a register for nursing staff to document referral cases, including details such as the reason for the referral, the ailments involved and patient names.
Regarding the current status of the revised referral procedures, Jain informed that the changes have been implemented in a more vigilant manner at the hospital. Over the past 15 to 20 days, the district hospital administration has observed a 50 per cent decrease in patient referrals. Earlier, about 100 patients were referred from the hospital in a month, with 30 to 40 referrals occurring weekly at the district hospital. Now with the revised referral procedure, only 15 to 20 patients are being referred from the district hospital, he added.
It will be recalled that the Health department has recently introduced a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) designed to minimise unnecessary referrals from government hospitals. Health secretary R Rajesh Kumar had stated that patients will no longer be transferred from district and sub-district hospitals to medical college hospitals and larger facilities unless there is a valid medical reason.
