Stop unnecessary referrals, district hospitals must treat more patients locally, says Telangana health minister

Telangana Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha along with senior officials at a review meeting to assess the functioning of government hospitals under the Directorate of Secondary Healthcare on Saturday (August 22). | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Telangana Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha warned government hospitals against referring patients to higher-level facilities for minor ailments when the required treatment is available locally, directing officials to take strict action against those continuing the practice.The Minister said the practice of referring patients unnecessarily had already changed in several government hospitals, but it had come to his notice that some facilities were still following the old system. He directed officials to ensure that patients were r