Home / Health / Punjab Overhauls Patient Transfers for Faster Care
Punjab Overhauls Patient Transfers for Faster Care
30 Oct
Summary
- Mandatory coordination for patient referrals between hospitals.
- New SOP aims to prevent unnecessary transfers and fix accountability.
- Referrals categorized into red, yellow, and green based on severity.
The Punjab health department has revised its emergency referral mechanism, mandating prior coordination between referring and receiving hospitals for critically ill patients. This new protocol aims to ensure that patients reach facilities equipped to provide necessary treatment, preventing the dangerous delays previously caused by shunting patients between government health facilities.
A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for closed-loop referral services has been introduced across all government healthcare facilities. This aims to prevent unnecessary transfers, ensure timely access to specialized care, and establish accountability for referrals. The protocol classifies referrals into red, yellow, and green categories based on the patient's condition and injury severity.
The new SOP allows bypassing intermediate facilities lacking required services, directing patients to appropriate care. Emergency officers must stabilize patients before referral and inform receiving hospitals of the patient's condition and expected arrival time. Receiving facilities must acknowledge referrals, and refusals require documented reasons and identification of alternative destinations.
