Referral from government medical college to private hospital, questions on treatment arrangements also!

Pilibhit, Read: After the attack on a student in the district hospital premises affiliated to the medical college, another big question has arisen regarding the health system. After giving first aid to a seriously injured student in the Autonomous Government Medical College, run at a cost of crores of rupees, she had to be referred to the private SRMS Hospital in Bareilly. This has intensified the discussion on super specialty health services and emergency treatment capacity in the medical college.

According to doctors, the main blood vessels of the student’s neck were cut in the attack. The doctors of the Medical College immediately inserted a central line, administered blood transfusion, did intubation and tried to control the condition. The situation was such that not a single HOD was seen during the emergency. After some time, when his condition became very serious, he was sent to Bareilly by Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance.

Two senior residents, three junior residents, an OT technician, life-saving medicines and blood bags were also sent along with the ambulance, but the student died during treatment. According to doctors, the student needed immediate vascular (blood vessel) surgery. Due to non-availability of super specialty facilities of this level in the medical college, he had to be referred to the private SRMS hospital in Bareilly.

This has once again raised the question that when a government medical college is running in the district, why do patients have to depend on private hospitals in cases like serious trauma and vascular surgery. While the objective of building a medical college was to provide high level treatment to serious patients in the district itself, there is still a compulsion for referral in complex cases. Experts believe that in cases like serious injury to the blood vessels of the neck, every minute is crucial. If necessary specialists and operation facilities were available in the same hospital, the patient’s chances of survival could have increased.

In such a situation, this incident is not only a criminal incident but also highlights the need for super specialty facilities in the medical college. However, the medical college administration says that as per the available resources, the student was given immediate life-saving treatment and in view of the need for specialist treatment, she was referred to a hospital with high level facilities. Despite this, the incident has once again sparked serious debate on the health system of the district and the need to expand specialist medical services in the medical college. There is no CCTV installed at the spot.