Pune hospitals may have to provide info on patients

DNA: Pune: Saturday, June 09, 2012.

Embarrassed by an RTI query that has put the Pune Municipal Corporation’s(PMC) health department in a tight spot over alleged ‘incorrect’ information provided under the RTI application, the department is now mulling over making it mandatory for all hospitals to send report on every admitted patient on a monthly basis.

PMC health chief Dr ST Pardeshi told DNA that so far, only information on certain notifiable diseases are sent to civic corporation by public and private hospitals. However, if a patient is suffering from symptoms of serious illnesses like malnutrition, no prior intimation is given to the PMC.

“How do we know if this was really a malnutrition-related death? The doctor simply writes it in his note on cause of death but ascertaining malnutrition is a complex subject. Hence, we are considering making it mandatory for hospitals to report complete information on admitted patients on a monthly basis. If we suspect any discrepancy, we can investigate immediately. Also, when patients are admitted for suspected malnutrition, we should be notified immediately,’’ said Pardeshi adding that the system is likely to start in a couple of months.