Monthly audit to be conducted
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Feb 8: The State Government today announced Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and nominated Nodal Officers at various levels of healthcare institutions to streamline the patients’ referral system.
The objective behind announcing SOPs is to provide required level of treatment facilities to the patients, who need treatment that is not within the scope of services of hospital and the referral is made to other hospital.
According to the SOPs, the ‘On Duty’ Consultant/Post Graduate/BMO/Medical Officer shall decide referral from peripheral hospital/healthcare centre to Tertiary Care Hospital and sign the ‘Referral Slip’ of the patient. The doctor referring the patient will have to mention the details of the patient like treatment received, status of the patient and reasons for referring the patient to ‘Tertiary Care Hospital’ on the ‘Referral Slip’.
“Also, when the patient is being referred, a Whatsapp message should immediately go to the Nodal Officer of the concerned referral hospital from the ‘On Duty’ doctor so that the necessary preparations are made well in advance”, read the SOPs.
“The treating doctor, besides signing the referral, will have to mention his name, designation, registration number and mobile number under his seal. In case, the treating doctor decides to shift the patient in an ambulance, a medical attendant/ ASHA worker, well versed with ‘resuscitation drill’ should accompany the patient along with a Patient Referral Log in the prescribed format. However, if the patient is a pregnant woman, she should be accompanied by a trained lady/ASHA worker in the ambulance,” the SOPs mentioned.
As per the SOPs, while referring the patient to Tertiary Care Hospital in an ambulance, the Log Book of the ambulance should also be duly signed and stamped by the doctor ‘On Duty’ along with date and time of the departure of the ambulance while on arrival of the patient at Tertiary Care Hospital, the Medical Attendant/ASHA Worker accompanying the patient will hand-over the patient to the doctor ‘On Duty’ at casualty/registration/emergency (as the case may be) under proper receipt indicating the date and time of handing over the patient.
The doctor ‘On Duty’ at casualty/registration/emergency at Tertiary Care Hospital will also maintain a separate register of referrals, indicating therein, the particulars of the patient, date & time of arrival, treatment given, particulars of the medical attendant who handed over the patient, name and location of the Periphery Hospital/Healthcare Centre from where the patient has been referred and any other relevant information regarding the status and condition of the patient.
The concerned Registrar/ Consultant will, thereafter, immediately take over further management of the patient and also record his/her findings about the reasonability of the decision taken by the Periphery Hospital/ Healthcare Centre doctor in referring the patient to Tertiary Care Hospital within shortest period of time after the patient reports in the Healthcare Establishment. Moreover, the referred patients at the Tertiary Care Hospitals will be discharged from the Hospital only by or with the approval of the ‘On Duty’ Registrar or consultant.
To further streamline the patient referral system, Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo, nominated Nodal Officers at various levels of healthcare institutions. For Government Medical Colleges and its Associated Hospitals, Deputy Medical Superintendent of concerned Associated Hospital(s) will be the Nodal Officer, for Directorate of Health Services, the Nodal Officer will be Deputy Director (Schemes), for District Hospital it will be Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, for Sub District Hospital/Community Health Centre it will be senior most Gynaecologist while for Primary Health Centre, the Nodal Officer will be senior most Medical Superintendent.
The Nodal Officers will monitor the working of patient referral system as per the SOPs devised and suggest changes/ modifications, if required, to bring further improvements in the system. The monthly review meetings of the nominated Nodal Officers shall be taken by the Director Health Services Kashmir/ Jammu regarding implementation of decisions taken and recommend appropriate corrective measures to further improvise the Patient Referral System.
A monthly audit of all referral cases at all levels/health institutions shall be conducted and consolidated at the divisional levels by the respective Principal, GMC, Srinagar/ Jammu. The consolidated audit report along with findings/gaps/ suggestions/ recommendations shall be furnished to the Administrative Department.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
