Instructions to Follow Referral Protocol
The Health Department has issued a comprehensive referral protocol for hospitals under the Health Department and medical colleges. The protocol has been released to reduce crowd on medical colleges and to ensure excellent treatment for patients in the nearest hospitals.
In the first phase, the protocol for five specialities—Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Gynaecology, Paediatrics, and Orthopaedics—has been released. Protocols for other specialities will be published later. Patients should not be unnecessarily referred to medical colleges if facilities are available in a hospital.
The first referral protocol was formulated in 2010-11. However, considering the increasing number of patients, changes in the physical facilities of hospitals, changes in treatment methods, and new diseases, a comprehensive protocol has been released. In 2023, an expert committee was formed and after detailed discussions on all matters, the comprehensive protocol was finalised.
Various types of speciality treatments are available in medical colleges, district hospitals, general hospitals, and taluk hospitals. Therefore, all institutions have been classified into five categories based on the available human resources and facilities. They are categorised as Category A, B, C1, C2, and D. The protocol explains in detail what facilities should be available and what treatments should be provided in each category of institution. It also clearly explains what danger signs in a patient under treatment require referral and based on the symptoms, to which hospital the patient should be referred.
With the implementation of the referral and back-referral protocol, the overcrowding of patients in major hospitals, including medical colleges, can be reduced. Since it is clearly defined what treatments can be done using the facilities available in lower-level hospitals, doctors can treat patients more accurately according to the existing facilities without any confusion, thereby reducing referrals. It will also reduce patients directly going to major hospitals and ensure excellent treatment in all existing hospitals according to their facilities.
