Berhampur: The govt-run MKCG Medical College and Hospital authorities instructed its doctors not to refer any patient in the medical college to other healthcare facilities for further treatment without taking permission from the department heads concerned.“We have also instructed scrutinising all outgoing ambulances with patients from the medical college and hospital,” said Durga Madhab Satapathy, superintendent of the medical college and hospital, here on Monday. The hospital staff and security guards will scrutinise the ambulance with patients before departure, he said.Medical college and hospital authorities took this step following the recent death of an accident victim in a private hospital. The patient was allegedly referred to a private hospital from the college by a senior doctor. The college authorities were forced to form a five-member committee to investigate the allegation.The committee discussed with the family members of the deceased and also with the accident victim on Saturday. The committee members verified the CCTV footage. “We are waiting for the inquiry report,” said Satapathy.The patient, Balaram Gouda, 28, of Baghalati in Ganjam district, was rushed to the medical college and hospital after he sustained injuries due to a bike accident near Mahuda on July 10. He was treated in the emergency ward, and then a senior doctor of the orthopaedic department advised his family members to admit him to a private hospital.According to his advice, they admitted him to a private facility for a quick cure. As the condition of the patient worsened after surgery, he was again referred to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar. On the way to the hospital on July 13, he died.Family members of the deceased alleged Balaram died because he was referred to a private hospital by the doctor and sought action against the doctor. His brother Jagannath lodged an FIR at Baidyanathpur police station against the doctor and urged the medical college authorities to take action against him.
