Treating Healthcare

According to a report published on Monday in this newspaper, there seems no end to unnecessary referrals in Kashmir hospitals.  It was reported that Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) meant for instituting answerability in health care centers for referrals are not followed properly. Many doctors working in tertiary health centers are of the opinion that most of the times SOP’s are being neglected as they continue to receive patients who can be easily managed at peripheral hospitals.  The concerned authorities have also failed to enforce norms and guidelines regarding referral system to ensure proper functioning of the health institutions. Many health experts are of the opinion that unnecessary referrals adversely affect the performance of hospital staff. It is a fact that the efficiency of tertiary hospitals in the valley has been suffering owing to unregulated referral system and subsequently the heavy rush of patients. The health centres in rural areas continue to lack basic facilities due which the burden on city hospitals is growing by the day. To catch up with the health institutions in the rest of India, the government has to take multi-pronged steps to revamp the ailing healthcare in the UT. Only a satisfied doctor can work to best of his capabilities. The government should take steps to address the problems of doctors and para-medics and to improve the working conditions in the health institutions. There is also a dire need for effective monitoring of various health schemes so that common people can avail their benefits adequately. Various schemes of Health and Family Welfare Department and National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) need to be reviewed on periodic basis. The authorities should ensure close vigil on the hospitals. They should also check the growth of nursing homes conducting regular inspections and initiate action against those not fulfilling the mandatory norms and formalities. The pending projects should be completed in the scheduled timeframe. The government should also take steps for filling up the vacancies for the upcoming health institutions.  There is also a need for furnishing the skills of doctors as per the latest developments in the healthcare sector. Short term refresher courses for doctors in premier institutions across the world should be arranged so as to acquaint them with latest trends in medical sciences. Out sourcing of facilities like sanitation, security, laundry and pantry should also be given a serious thought. Concerted efforts are needed to improve the healthcare in the UT and the government should accord priority to this sector in the real sense.