JAMMU, Dec 26: Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Bhagat has called for strict implementation of Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) in all the health institutions including tertiary-care centers across the State while writing the patients’ medical prescriptions.
Reiterating his earlier directive wherein it was enjoined upon all the doctors to write only genuine and necessary medicines to the patients visiting the government hospitals, preferably those available in the government supply, the Minister said that reports are still pouring about unnecessary/substandard medicines being prescribed by the doctors to mint commission and give benefits to some particular companies. He said the Government has viewed this unethical trend seriously and all those indulging in this unhealthy and unholy practice are once again warned to mend ways otherwise the authorities will take strict action against them.
The Minister directed for formulation of a joint committee of senior Heads of Departments/experts both from Kashmir and Jammu to suggest ways and means for strict implementation of SoP to save the poor patients from the burden of unnecessary expenditure on purchase of medicines from the market. He directed the Principals of Government Medical Colleges, Dental Colleges, Kashmir/Jammu, Directors Health Services, Kashmir/Jammu, ISM Department to recommend the panel of names to be inducted in the Committee in this regard within a week’s time.
Chairing a meeting of HoDs which was convened here to gauge the progress of various decisions taken in earlier meetings with regard to the functioning of the Department, the Minister emphasized the need for speeding up the process of digitization of record in all wings of the department to ensure complete transparency in the functioning. He directed for deputing the concerned officials from all District hospitals, Medical Colleges for undergoing necessary trainings to institutions outside the state to acquire the knowledge of digitization of record on priority. He directed the concerned HoDs to personally monitor the progress of this important component as is envisaged by the Government of India to ensure complete transparency and accountability in the functioning of the institutions.
Expressing concern over the rate of referral of patients from secondary to tertiary-care hospitals, the Minister directed for strengthening the existing mechanism to ensure that only serious patients are referred. He called for activating the control rooms already established at the level of Sub-District/District Hospitals for effective monitoring the situation to keep a check on unnecessary referral system.
The Minister also took stock of the overall functioning of the department, availability and supply of medicines to health institutions by the JK Medical Supplies Corporation (JKMSC), implementation of various programmes under National Health Mission (NHM) and stressed the need for a close synergy to achieve better results on ground. He directed the concerned HoDs to pay frequent field visits to oversee the functioning of the ground level institutions and addressing the important issues on-the-spot.
Among those present in the meeting included, Principals Government Medical Colleges, Kashmir/Jammu, Dr Qaiser Ahmed, Dr Zahid Geelani, Principal Dental College, Jammu, Dr Romesh Singh, MD, JKMSCL, Dr Yashpal Sharma, Mission Director, NHM, Dr. Mohan Singh, Director Health Services, Jammu, Dr Gurjit Singh and Additional Secretary Health, Mr. K S Chib.
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