Rawalpindi
The holy month of Ramazan, according to a number of health experts, helps in establishing a proper referral system in health sector that results in maximum output at tertiary level healthcare facilities and the same was observed here at the three teaching hospitals in town like the past.
Many health experts have repeatedly expressed to ‘The News’ that population not only in the district but all across Pakistan is habitual of not following the government’s proposed referral system in health sector that puts extraordinary burden on tertiary care hospitals, the teaching hospitals unnecessarily.
It is observed that most of the people living in peripheries do not report at primary and secondary healthcare facilities including basic health units (BHUs), rural healthcare centers (RHCs) and tehsil headquarters hospitals throughout the year instead they prefer to come directly to a teaching hospital. It causes over utilisation of tertiary care hospitals while primary and secondary healthcare set-ups remain under-utilised.
The phenomenon puts reputation of tertiary care hospitals at stake which become over-burdened along with causing sufferings for thousands of patients living in city areas.
Senior health experts say that because of absence of proper referral system and filter clinics, majority of the consultants have to consume much of their energy on OPD patients having mild to moderate health problems that can easily be resolved at primary or secondary healthcare facilities.
The extraordinary unnecessary burden on teaching hospitals in the region affects their performance and the tertiary care hospitals have to spend a significant portion of their budgets on patients that can easily be facilitated by primary and secondary healthcare facilities.
The holy month of Ramazan, this year too, has brought a change in pattern of patients’ influx at the three teaching hospitals in town including Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Holy Family Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital.
Data collected by ‘The News’ has revealed that during Ramazan, the teaching hospitals received nearly 40 per cent less number of patients as compared to routine and the obvious reason behind it was that less number of patients belonging to peripheries reported at the teaching hospitals.
Data reveals that the teaching hospitals received less number of patients from peripheries including Gujar Khan, Taxila, Kallar Syedan, Kahuta or Chakwal during Ramazan and the patients coming from peripheral destinations were mostly those who really need treatment at a teaching hospital.
Throughout Ramazan, the outpatient department at the BBH received nearly 60 per cent of the total influx as compared to routine and even the number of patients requiring minor surgical procedures was less than the number of patients in routine, said Medical Superintendent at BBH Dr. Asif Qadir Mir while talking to ‘The News’.
He said it is need of the time to create awareness among public on importance of filter clinics and primary and secondary healthcare facilities.
He, like many other health experts, said that the population in peripheries should be aware of the fact that primary and secondary healthcare facilities have been established to resolve their health issues and they should come to teaching hospitals only if needed.
It is important that in Ramazan, most of the patients go to a healthcare facility nearest to their residence and only in case of serious problems, they reach teaching hospitals that automatically results in filtration of patients and establishment of a proper referral system.
Health experts say that if the concerned authorities work for establishing proper referral system possible throughout the year, the performance of tertiary healthcare facilities can be enhanced to a significant level.