Cuttack: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has written to all medical colleges and hospitals to audit the prescriptions of patients who were referred from the peripheral hospitals.
The authorities of Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) have recently received a letter in this regard from the Health Ministry.
According to sources, many peripheral hospitals across the country often refer people suffering from common diseases like fever to medical colleges and hospitals. Consequently, many premier health institutes like All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh and Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry have been facing overcrowding, sources said.
To tackle the situation, the authorities of some premier health institutes had audited the prescriptions of patients referred to them from primary health centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and district headquarters hospitals (DHHs) a few months ago.
The audit found that in most cases people suffering from common diseases like fever and dysentery were referred to medical colleges and hospitals.
Taking the issue seriously, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has asked the medical colleges and hospitals to audit the prescriptions of all patients referred from the peripheral hospitals.
“Many peripheral hospitals have specialist and postgraduate doctors. But, they usually refer people suffering from common diseases to medical colleges and hospitals without any reason. Consequently, many premier health institutes are facing overcrowding of patients,” said an official of SCBMCH.