Srinagar, Oct 25: The tertiary care hospitals in Srinagar which serve as main referral units continue to remain overburdened despite the claims of upgradation in rural healthcare.
Doctors at SKIMS Soura said that the referral cases like life-saving treatments, especially for trauma and severe medical emergencies, are being delayed due to the referral process.
A senior official at GMC Srinagar said Srinagar’s tertiary care hospitals annually received 50,000 referral cases from district hospitals and continue to put extra burden on them. The figures include a staggering 18,000 referral cases per year at SKIMS only.
“The overburdening of city hospitals is not new. It has been happening for a long time. Although some hospitals in districts were upgraded but still a lot more needs to be done,” said a senior doctor at SMHS hospital.
Four years back the Health and Medical Education Department had issued Standard Operating Protocol (SoP) for instituting answerability in healthcare institutes in case of referrals but these are not followed in hospitals and there is no end to unnecessary referrals.
Khursheed Ahmad, a patient at SDH Tangmarg said that at most of the times patients, who would be easily managed at the hospital, are referred to Srinagar and Baramulla.
“Even children who have minor ailments and patients who have minor ENT issues are also referred. This must end. If this is SDH then it should have at least basic facilities,” he said.
The patient said the hospital receives patients from more than 50 villages and expressed concern said despite that the basic healthcare facilities have not been improved.
Nasir Ahmad, a patient at SDH Pattan complained all the trauma cases are referred to Srinagar hospitals for treatment after due to lack of proper facilities.
A senior doctor who is posted at SDH Tangdar in Kupwara said there is shortage of specialist doctors and patients are referred to Kupwara and then to Srinagar for treatment.
“The local doctors do not want to work there. Many posts of doctor are also vacant as many doctors declined to work there. If there are no specialist doctors how can patients be treated in rural hospitals,” he said.
In Jan 2021, J&K government publicised Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for instituting answerability in healthcare institutes in case of referrals.
As per the SoP, prepared by GMC Srinagar, a doctor who decides to send a patient to a higher institute had to ensure that the patient reaches the hospital safely.
For this, the doctor had to follow an inventory before deciding that a case could not be handled at the level wherefrom the referral was taking place.
In addition, the referrals as well as the investigation were mandated to have name, registration number, seal and signature of the doctor on duty.
The SOPs were then issued after a roadside delivery case of a Kupwara woman in Srinagar to regulate patient referrals and burden on tertiary care institutions.
However, doctors in tertiary care hospitals complain that the SOPs are not being followed as they continue to receive patients who can be easily managed at peripheral hospitals.
Spokesperson, Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, Dr Mir Mushtaq said that OPDs in hospitals remain flooded with people and there is huge stress on government hospitals.
“We have been working to limit the referrals and much has improved. It depends on the flow of patients. Sometimes patients have to wait and patients have to be patient,” he said.
