The Bengal health department on Friday issued a circular that lists 370 types of health services to be provided mandatorily by district hospitals across Bengal.

The circular has been issued to stop the increasing trend of district hospitals referring patients to Calcutta.

“The circular will help us track reasons for a referral from the districts to Calcutta. If we find referrals have been made despite the district hospital having available doctors or equipment to treat patients, we can seek clarification from the authorities. It will certainly help us reduce the referral rate,” said a senior health official in Calcutta.

Sources said the exercise to prepare a department-wise list of available health services in district hospitals started after chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her dissatisfaction with the increasing trend of patients’ referrals at several administrative meetings.

Mamata in her administrative meeting at Nabanna on November 21 criticised district health officials and hospital authorities for the increasing trend of referring patients, including pregnant women to Calcutta and directed state officials to review all such referral cases.

Mamata asked for action against doctors in district hospitals who refer patients to Calcutta flagging them as critical cases.

“Some pregnant women have died... because they had to travel for 45 hours to reach Calcutta,” Mamata said on November 21.

“A monthly report on referrals will be reviewed by health officials to assess if district hospitals have referred patients for the right reasons,” said a health official.