30 orthopaedic procedures listed for pvt hospitals

Kolkata: The state health department has classified emergency orthopaedic procedures that private hospitals can conduct under the Swasthya Sathi scheme. It has also come out with the timeframe during which an accidental injury like a bone fracture that private hospitals handle under the health scheme.

According to an order from the Swasthya Sathi Samity (SSS), it has listed 30 emergency orthopaedic procedures that empanelled private hospitals can conduct.

The order also said that any accidental bone fracture, if admitted within 48 hours of the accident with all legal papers, can be considered as emergency cases.

“Some surgeons were reluctant as they said such procedures are ‘limb-saving’ and not ‘life-saving’. That is the reason we have classified what these emergency or accidental cases are for better clarity,” said a source in the Samity.

The move comes close to three months after the health department had introduced gate-keeping measures in orthopaedic procedures under Swasthya Sathi. While the state had restricted majority of the elective orthopaedic procedures for Swasthya Sathi patients to government hospitals, private hospitals are allowed to handle emergency or life-saving orthopaedic procedures after an injury, like that of a road traffic accident or accidental fall.