Telangana to launch Referral System, Boost Doctor Availability in Govt Hospitals

Hyderabad: The state government has proposed a new referral system to streamline healthcare services and reduce overcrowding at Telangana's major tertiary care hospitals, including Gandhi Hospital, Osmania General Hospital, and Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS). Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha introduced the initiative to ease pressure on these hospitals.

The health minister shared his ambitious plan to upgrade government facilities during a review meeting held in Hyderabad on Thursday. The Minister emphasized the need for substantial improvements in infrastructure, human resources, and medical equipment to better serve the public.

In addition to the referral system, the Minister called for stricter measures to ensure that doctors are present during duty hours at all government hospitals.

Also Read: 24-hour Search for Bed: Patient dies after 3 Government Hospitals denied treatment in Kolkata

According to The Hindu, the Minister stressed the importance of ensuring accessibility to all diagnostic services, particularly for the economically disadvantaged sections of society. Additionally, hospital superintendents will be allocated funds for the maintenance of medical tools and plants to ensure uninterrupted services, he said.

The Minister also added that the government will ensure that essential medical services remain fully available at primary health centres (PHCs), district hospitals, urban PHCs, and community health centres (CHCs).

Also Read: Medical Council Notice to 40 doctors for taking referral patients from QUACKS

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that, as the crackdown on quacks intensifies due to their increasing prevalence, qualified doctors in the state have now come under the radar of Telangana Medical Council (TSMC) for allegedly accepting patient referrals from quacks. In response, the council has issued notices to 40 such doctors in connection with the matter. According to the council, these doctors were found encouraging quacks in practice and offering fees to them for referring complicated cases to them.