The government has decided to convert the orthopaedic, paediatric, medicine and gynaecology departments of the Medical College Hospital here into referral units from January 1 next year.
Only those patients requiring specialised treatment will be referred from primary health centres, community health centres, taluk and district hospitals to these departments of the Medical College.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting of top officials of the Health Department and Medical College Hospital, Health Minister V S Sivakumar said converting the four departments of Medical College Hospital to referral units was the first step towards transforming all medical college hospitals in the state to fully referral institutions.
After availing of the required treatment from the Medical College, patients can be referred back for further treatment to the hospitals from where they were originally referred. In order to ensure effective implementation of this ‘back-referral’ system, all community health centres will function round-the-clock. In addition, X-ray units and ECG labs which provide round-the-clock service will also be set up at the taluk level.All doctors who come under this programme have been given adequate training. Public Relations Officers will be appointed at the Medical College Hospital, SAT Hospital, Women & Children Hospital Thycaud and Taluk Hospital to provide guidance to patients, Sivakumar said.