Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jul 12: Expressing concern over the heavy influx of patients from neighboring districts and states causing a shortage of beds for local residents, Wenlock District Hospital medical superintendent and district surgeon Dr Shivaprasad on Friday directed other hospitals to confirm the availability of ICU beds before referring patients for emergency care.
Addressing a press conference, Dr Shivaprasad stated that a help desk and public relations officer system have already been set up at the hospital to assist the public. "Information regarding bed availability will also be updated on our website. We are facing severe constraints as patients already on ventilator support are being brought directly from other districts without prior intimation," he noted.
He explained that despite having 116 ICU beds, the hospital frequently faces shortages due to the high volume of admissions under the Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka (AB-ARK) scheme. "Frequently shifting critical patients from one facility to another can severely impact their health. It is unfair to blame Wenlock Hospital for turning away patients when beds are simply not available," he added.
Sharing hospital statistics, the superintendent revealed that within the span of a year, Wenlock Hospital treated 27,937 inpatients and 2,76,543 outpatients. Out of these, 12,147 inpatients and 1,46,974 outpatients belonged to Dakshina Kannada district, while the remaining patients came from other parts of the state and neighboring Kerala.
Dr Shivaprasad further mentioned that a proposal will be submitted to the state government requesting an additional 50 ICU beds and the recruitment of necessary staff, a matter that has already been discussed with the health minister. "We have also submitted a memorandum to the health department commissioner requesting the implementation of a 10-point guideline regarding protocol to be followed when referring patients from one district hospital to another," he said.
Corroborating this, Dakshina Kannada district health officer Dr H R Thimmayya emphasized that private hospitals must not charge patients referred under the AB-ARK scheme. He added that a structured, state-level inter-district referral mechanism needs to be strictly implemented.
Cashless treatment under PM Rahat scheme
Dr Shivaprasad also highlighted that Wenlock Hospital has successfully treated its first case under the PM Rahat scheme, which provides cashless emergency treatment to road accident victims. The primary objective of the scheme is to ensure that accident victims are not deprived of timely medical care due to financial constraints.
To avail of this benefit, registration on the Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD/e-DAR) portal is mandatory. If registered within 24 hours of the accident, the victim can receive medical treatment for up to a week without producing any documents. The scheme provides coverage up to Rs 1.5 lac, which can go up to Rs 2.5 lac in cases of severe injuries. This facility is accessible to both APL and BPL cardholders.