Thiruvananthapuram, Nov. 11 -- The Kerala Health Department has introduced a comprehensive referral protocol for hospitals under the Health Department and medical colleges under the Medical Education Department.
The initiative aims to reduce overcrowding in medical colleges and ensure that patients receive effective treatment at hospitals closest to their homes.
In the first phase, referral guidelines have been issued for five major specialties: Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Gynaecology, Paediatrics, and Orthopaedics. Protocols for other specialties will be released in subsequent phases.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George made it clear that patients should not be referred to medical colleges when adequate facilities and treatment ...