Health Department asks hospitals in Delhi for weekly referral reports
NEW DELHI: Hospitals run by the city government have been directed to prepare a report of the patients referred to them by other hospitals and submit it to the Health department on a weekly basis, officials said.
The development has come after a recent incident where a trauma patient died after being denied treatment at multiple hospitals. The case also drew a sharp reaction from the city government with the Chief Minister (CM) suspending four doctors from the two hospitals where the patient was denied emergency care.
According to officials, the decision was taken in a meeting held with the medical chiefs of government hospitals.They were also asked not to refuse treatment to patients “under any circumstances.”
“The hospitals have been asked to designate the patients referred to them under two broad categories, critical and non critical, and submit the report weekly to the department. Besides, all such patients must be attended under any circumstances. The system will ensure transparency and required checks to avert situations where patients succumb to the lack of untimely medical care,” an official said.
Besides, chiefs of the hospitals have been asked to remain more vigilant and conduct frequent rounds to the wards during day and night shifts and ensure orderly functioning of respective healthcare facilities, according to officials. “Also, they were asked to sensitize paramedics and attendants to be cordial with patients,” officials added.
These directions are not binding on the Centre-run Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital.
Last week, the Health department recommended disciplinary action against four doctors from Lok Nayak Hospital and GTB Hospital accusing them of lacking “ethics, empathy and professionalism” after the 47-year-old patient, seeking emergeny medical care at multiple hospitals, died.
The patient succumbed to his injuries on January 3 after four government hospitals, Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital, GTB Hospital, Lok Nayak Hospital, and RML Hospital, denied him admission.