Tripura Chief Minister Urges Doctors to Limit Patient Referrals Outside the State

Strengthening Healthcare in Tripura

On Monday, Chief Minister Manik Saha of Tripura urged government doctors to refrain from referring patients outside the state whenever possible. He emphasized that the state government is actively working to enhance healthcare facilities within Tripura.

During an event, Saha noted that many individuals who meet him often raise health-related concerns and express a desire to be referred outside the state for better treatment. This initiative is part of a weekly program where he addresses public grievances.

The Chief Minister stated, 'We have already established nine super-specialty departments at GBP Hospital and plan to open four more. If patients continue to seek treatment outside the state, then why has the government opened super-specialty health services? This indicates a lack of trust between doctors and patients.'

According to Dr. Shankar Chakraborty, the medical superintendent of GBP Hospital, the number of referral cases has decreased from 900 in 2024 to approximately 500 by October this year.

Saha also issued a warning to two medical colleges—Shantiniketan Medical College, a private institution, and Tripura Medical College (TMC), operated by a society—regarding their poor performance in the recently announced MBBS examination results. He mentioned that media reports highlighted the dismal results of both colleges in the first-year MBBS exams.

The government will not tolerate any negligence in medical education and is willing to provide assistance if necessary. He added that he has received information that the competent authority has agreed to increase the MBBS seats at Tripura Medical College by 50, with a formal notification to be issued soon. Currently, there are 400 MBBS seats across three medical colleges in Tripura.