PANAJI
The trend of patients being referred to the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) at the eleventh hour as hopeless cases seems to be continuing unhindered, despite directions by the government to take action against the referring private hospital in such cases.
In the last seven months, this year, as many as 31 such patients referred by private hospitals died at the GMC either on the same day or in a day or two after admission, according to a written reply furnished to the Goa legislative assembly by Health Minister Vishwajit Rane.
Rane's reply said, 18 of the 31 patients died either on the same day that they were admitted or within the next two days.
However, the Health Department has not taken any action against the concerned private hospitals.
Rane's written reply in response to an unstarred query posed by St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar said, patients undergoing treatment in a private hospital are referred to the GMC when their condition worsens and turns critical.
He said, it is reported that most such patients die while undergoing treatment at the GMC.
That's why the health department directed the heads of all government hospitals to investigate and take action against the private hospitals that collect fees from relatives and send patients to government hospitals after dying.
Rane also said that the government, taking cognisance of this unhealthy trend, has directed heads of all government hospitals to investigate these cases and initiate action against the concerned private hospitals.
He quoted a circular issued by Under Secretary (Health) Tripti Manerkar in June this year issuing directions for such action to the GMCH Dean, Health Director, Dental College Dean and head of the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour.
However, no such action has been initiated against any private hospital as yet, Rane's reply revealed.
Borkar had sought a list of private hospitals penalised in cases where patients were referred to the GMC late and they had died to which Rane said: "No hospitals is penalised."
The minister also furnished a list of 31 patients who were referred to the GMC by private hospitals and had subsequently died. The list revealed that 18 of them had expired on the very day of admission or within the next one or two days.
