India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee seeks abolition of prior-consent requirement for emergency neonatal, paediatric referrals

Parliamentary Standing Committee has flagged the shortage of specialised neonatal and paediatric care in district hospitals, calling the mandatory prior-consent letter for transferring critical patients to empanelled facilities flawed and life-threatening. The neonatal and paediatric care means the care of infants and children respectively. Committee has recommended abolishing this requirement and setting up self-sufficient paediatric care units in all district hospitals.