Assembly Speaker seeks data on referrals from Karnal hospital

Expressing dissatisfaction over the referral of patients and alleged apathetic attitude of some doctors towards visitors at Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College (KCGMC), Assembly Speaker Harvinder Kalyan directed the management to submit record of patients admitted to and referred from the hospital in the last three months. Besides, he directed that a notice be issued to a doctor for unreasonable referral practices.

He also sought information on the utilisation of high-end medical equipment in the college, emphasising that the government had spent significant funds on it.

“We are getting frequent complaints over unreasonable referral of patients. I have asked the authorities to submit the record of the past three months. Doctors should document the treatment provided to critical patients before referral to ensure transparency and accountability,” said Kalyan, while reviewing the functioning of the KCGMC. He held a meeting with the Director and faculty heads to assess the operations and shortcomings in the institution. He directed the authorities to make better use of the available resources to improve services.

Kalyan also asked the administration to provide details on the number of Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries treated at the hospital in the past three months and warned that unnecessary referrals of Ayushman cardholders should be stopped.

Kalyan apprised of challenges faced by medical college

He chaired a meeting in the administrative block, which was attended by Deputy Commissioner Uttam Singh, Karnal MLA Jagmohan Anand and Assandh MLA Yogendra Rana, Director Dr MK Garg and faculty heads. The Director presented a detailed report of the institution’s functioning, future plans and challenges.

Dr Garg highlighted the issue of shortage of doctors and issues related to the procurement of new medical equipment. Besides, he highlighted the need for establishment of an engineering wing to handle maintenance issues related to electricity and water supply.

Reacting on demands, Kalyan said that key policy decisions such as filling vacant posts, procuring new medical equipment, ensuring security and providing legal aid, fell under the purview of the state government.

Karnal MLA Jagmohan Anand pointed out that doctors often did not respond to phone calls from public representatives. He instructed the Director to ensure that the nodal officer remains accessible at all times.

He said that their behaviour towards patients should be compassionate and respectful. He urged medical professionals to manage their workload while maintaining a patient-friendly approach.

Interaction with patients

During his visit to the casualty ward, patient Rekha from Salwan village complained that she was advised to be referred elsewhere despite being admitted the previous night. Speaker instructed the director to shift her to a ward for further treatment. Similarly, patient Gajanand Sharma’s complaint led to his immediate admission.

In a separate case, a patient named Harshit from Panipat, who had arrived at the hospital with his grandfather, complained that he was not receiving attention and was being referred to another facility. On hearing this, the Speaker directed the administration to issue an explanation notice to doctors.