SHILLONG: The Health department held a meeting on Tuesday with the representatives of all the private hospitals to ensure that instances of denial of medical care do not occur.
Chaired by the Commissioner and Secretary of Health, Sampath Kumar, the meeting dwelt at length on maintaining close coordination between the hospitals in dealing with patients seeking medical care without glitches.
DHS (MI) Dr Aman War said when patients come for medical services, there should be close coordination among hospitals in case there is no vacant bed, especially isolation bed, so that it becomes easier and hassle-free for the patient and the hospital.
He added that the meeting was necessary so that in future there won’t be incidents of medical care denial as was the case in one of the hospitals in Shillong.
Dr War said that the hospitals also raised issues such as their staff being subjected to hardships as they are not being allowed to enter their own places just because they work in a hospital.
Dr War said the health workers have been certified by the hospitals as good to go home and they should not be treated as the carriers of the disease which is totally wrong.
Dr War also informed that they had received complaints of patients suffering with other ailments are also being subjected to the same treatment after discharge.
He appealed to all concerned to ensure that such things do not happen.
Staff problems
The private hospitals in the city have highlighted about the problems which their staff face amidst the pandemic.
“This kind of treatment towards the staff of the hospitals is totally wrong. People should understand that none of the hospitals in the state will be able to function without the health workers,” Dr War said.
He said they had also received complaints that even patients, who were treated in the hospitals, have been asked to quarantine for 14 days after getting discharged.
“This is wrong. The hospitals gave them certificates to go back home. My question is that if the health workers and patients who are not at all related with COVID-19, are being treated in this manner, then what will happen to the positive cases,” Dr War said.
