Jahangir Ganaie
Srinagar, Sep 20: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday issued strict directions to Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and District Hospitals of the Kashmir Valley not to unnecessarily refer patients to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS).
Officials said frequent avoidable referrals are putting an extra burden on the Valley’s premier health institution and leaving deserving patients in distress.
As per reports, SKIMS often receives referrals of patients whose treatment could easily be handled at district or sub-district hospitals.
Data shows that out of 1,000 patients referred to SKIMS, only about 80 are admitted, while the rest are discharged after preliminary checks.
Experts say that despite the availability of doctors and adequate facilities at government hospitals, people tend to bypass local hospitals even for minor health issues and rush to tertiary centers like SKIMS. This leads to overcrowding and unnecessary strain. They argue that if the referral system is properly followed, doctors at SKIMS would be able to focus more on serious patients.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Sakeena Itoo has directed district and sub-district hospitals not to send patients unnecessarily to SKIMS, stressing that adequate facilities are already in place at the district level for the local population.
Sources said that the Health Minister has sought detailed data from SKIMS about referrals from each district to determine why hospitals, despite having facilities, are still shifting patients for minor treatments.
“We have received reports that patients are being shifted to SKIMS without valid reasons, and this trend cannot be accepted. It needs to be probed. We may have to take action against doctors who, without justification, refer patients and put additional pressure on SKIMS. We are seeking details of each referral and the discharge status of those patients,” a senior Health Department official said.
