Pvt hospital in Noida turns away patient without proper referral

NEW DELHI: Several patients in Noida thronging to the district's hospitals are being referred to other hospitals, without being given a referral slip or proper check up at their respective district hospitals.

A patient suffering from vertigo and headache informed that she was asked to go to Safdarjung Hospital, without even the preliminary check at the emergency ward in Noida.

The girl's mother said that the hospital staff did not even provide her a referral slip, mandatory for the ambulance service to transport patients.

"Madhu has been unwell for the past one week. We got her checked up at a private hospital near our house but there was no relief. We took her to a private clinic in Khoda, but they referred her to a higher centre," Javitra Devi, the mother said.

She further said When they arrived at the Noida hospital at 1pm, the doctor on duty in the emergency ward Usha Jaiswal asked the girl's family to take her to Safdarjung Hospital.

"The lady doctor present in the emergency ward did not examine Madhu. She only saw her condition and asked us to take her to Delhi. No slip was made for referring her to the hospital and no ambulance service was provided," Javitri Devi said.

Hospitals, which have been provided with ambulances under the 102 and 108 services of the state government, are meant to transport the patients who have been referred to the ‘higher centres' via the 108 service.

However, after the incident was brought to light of the authorities by media, the pharmacist who came in the emergency shift at 2 pm, checked the patient register in the ward to look for her details.

She only found that Madhu was not even on the list of patients diagnosed on Friday.

Upon insistence, she was later diagnosed by another doctor at the hospital, who said that the girl did not require any referral.