JAIPUR: Taking deaths of infants while travelling from one hospital to another on a serious note, the health department has issued directions to district hospitals to keep a check on referrals of sick infants.
Doctors are frequently referring sick infants from district hospitals to hospitals attached with medical colleges, thereby putting their lives at higher risk.
Strict directions have been issued to all district hospitals to mention the reason prominently as why they are unable to provide treatment to the infant brought to their hospital.
Health department has observed that there are doctors at district hospitals which refer infants frequently to hospitals attached to medical colleges without mentioning the reason.
"There is always a risk to life of sick children while travelling from one hospital to other. Many infants die while travelling some 100 kilometres from district hospital to hospitals attached with medical colleges. If a hospital has a specialist in paediatrics and having all equipment and medicine for his treatment, what are the circumstances and situation under which they are referring the infant to hospital attached with medical college, they have to mention it," said Dr SM Mittal, director family welfare, health department.
Health department pointed out that the doctors at district hospital and at hospitals attached to medical colleges are almost equally qualified. Also, facilities of treatment of such infants have also been provided to district hospital for treatment.
"We feel that district level hospitals are equally competent for providing treatment to sick children," said Dr Mittal adding that they have issued separate guidelines on the matter.
The health department is aiming to bring down infant mortality rate further by preventing deaths of infants while travelling from one hospital to other without any technical reason.
According to recently released National family Health Survey-4, the IMR in the state has gone down from 65 deaths per 1,000 live births to 41 deaths per 1,000 live births in past 10 years. Now, health department has targeted to bring it further down to 23 deaths per 1,000 live births in the next 10 years.
Doctors are frequently referring sick infants from district hospitals to hospitals attached with medical colleges, thereby putting their lives at higher risk.
Strict directions have been issued to all district hospitals to mention the reason prominently as why they are unable to provide treatment to the infant brought to their hospital.
Health department has observed that there are doctors at district hospitals which refer infants frequently to hospitals attached to medical colleges without mentioning the reason.
"There is always a risk to life of sick children while travelling from one hospital to other. Many infants die while travelling some 100 kilometres from district hospital to hospitals attached with medical colleges. If a hospital has a specialist in paediatrics and having all equipment and medicine for his treatment, what are the circumstances and situation under which they are referring the infant to hospital attached with medical college, they have to mention it," said Dr SM Mittal, director family welfare, health department.
Health department pointed out that the doctors at district hospital and at hospitals attached to medical colleges are almost equally qualified. Also, facilities of treatment of such infants have also been provided to district hospital for treatment.
"We feel that district level hospitals are equally competent for providing treatment to sick children," said Dr Mittal adding that they have issued separate guidelines on the matter.
The health department is aiming to bring down infant mortality rate further by preventing deaths of infants while travelling from one hospital to other without any technical reason.
According to recently released National family Health Survey-4, the IMR in the state has gone down from 65 deaths per 1,000 live births to 41 deaths per 1,000 live births in past 10 years. Now, health department has targeted to bring it further down to 23 deaths per 1,000 live births in the next 10 years.
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