Stop unnecessary referrals, district hospitals must treat more patients locally, says Telangana health minister

Telangana Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha warned government hospitals against referring patients to higher-level facilities for minor ailments when the required treatment is available locally, directing officials to take strict action against those continuing the practice.

The Minister said the practice of referring patients unnecessarily had already changed in several government hospitals, but it had come to his notice that some facilities were still following the old system. He directed officials to ensure that patients were referred to higher-level hospitals only when there was a valid medical reason.

In cases where a patient needs to be shifted to another hospital during an emergency, the receiving hospital should be informed in advance and coordination established with its doctors, he said. Unnecessary referrals not only cause inconvenience to patients but also add to the pressure on tertiary care hospitals, the Minister said.