New Online Referral System Fails to Streamline Patient Transfers in Kolkata Hospitals
Kolkata, 10 days after the implementation of an online patient referral system, hospitals in Kolkata continue to rely on outdated methods, causing confusion and delays in patient care.
On Sunday, MR Bangur Hospital referred a patient, Malati Haldar, 55, who had suffered a cerebral stroke, to Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH) using a handwritten "patient card" that simply stated "Ref to higher centre for neurosurgery" without specifying the destination hospital. Despite verbal assurances from doctors at MR Bangur that her admission at CNMCH would be facilitated, Haldar's family found no bed available upon arrival.
The family then moved to NRS Medical College and Hospital, where Malati was finally admitted after being handed over without any formal referral documentation. "We were just told to go to CNMCH, but there was no bed. Then they sent us to NRS without any card," said Somnath Haldar, the patient's son.
An official from the state health department emphasized that all referrals should now be processed through the new online system, highlighting a discrepancy in adherence to the new protocol. "Verbal and handwritten instructions are no longer allowed," the official stated, puzzled by the ongoing manual referrals.
The issue was further underscored by the tragic death of a 48-year-old man who, according to police sources, was turned away from three government medical colleges—SSKM Hospital, Medical College Kolkata, and NRS Medical College and Hospital—due to lack of beds. His family's desperate search for treatment ended in vain after 24 hours.
This newspaper's investigation on Sunday revealed systemic issues in the implementation of the new referral system. At SSKM Hospital, a screen meant to show bed availability was found blank. RG Kar Medical College displayed bed availability, but at CNMCH, security personnel were unaware of any such facility.
The persistence of manual referrals and the lack of real-time bed availability information raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of the new system designed to streamline patient care and reduce delays. As the health department seeks to address these teething issues, patients and families continue to face the brunt of a system in transition.