Government hospitals in Bengaluru ask for patient's religion to perform RT-PCR Covid-19 test

Patients seeking a Covid test at the hospital must register as an outpatient as ICMR's drafted SRF doesn't contain religion information

A 41-year-old woman was dumbfounded when the data entry operator at Jayanagar General Hospital asked for her religion to fill the Specimen Referral Form (SRF) for the RT-PCR test. The woman wanted a Covid-negative certificate as required by her organisation to resume work from the office premises.

While religion does not feature in the SRF drafted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the hospital told DH that the outpatient and inpatient forms at all government hospitals ask for the religion of an individual. Patients seeking a Covid test at the hospital must register as an outpatient.

“I have done the Covid test last year at the same hospital and there was no such form,” the woman told DH on condition of anonymity. “It is problematic even if the hospital asks for religion at the OPD level.” The operator filling her SRF form told her the form would be “incomplete” without the mention of her religion. “When I asked to see the form, it didn’t look like the ICMR form. Do hospitals have the authority to create their own forms,” the woman asked.

A colleague of hers who got a Covid test at a primary health centre 20 days ago was not asked about religion. “One person even asked for my caste,” she said. “The RT-PCR test is free at government hospitals. I am not sure why they ask for religion.”

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Sudha B M, Covid nodal officer at Jayanagar General, pointed out that OPD registration in all government hospitals requires religion. “In schemes like Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), you get the benefit if you belong to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribes,” she said. However, a person must be Below the Poverty Line (BPL) to get cash assistance under JSY, irrespective of their religion. If they do not have a BPL card, states have created a simple criterion to certify the poor and needy status of the expectant mother’s family.

Hospital medical superintendent Dr Ramakrishnappa said the detail of whether a patient is a Hindu, Muslim or Christian is asked to analyse the utilisation of health services by respective religious groups. “(The procedure) has been around for a long time,” he said.

“Although we can’t ask religion for an RT-PCR test, the outpatient registration requires it.”

Medical records departments at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), KC General and CV Raman General hospitals confirmed to DH about asking for a person’s religion, though they are not sure why.

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Two of the hospitals said it was for epidemiological (incidence and distribution of diseases) purposes, something the community medicine department at BMCRI rubbished.

'Pointless information'

Dr T S Ranganath, HOD, Community Medicine at BMCRI, wondered what could be proven with information like a patient’s religion.

“Diseases like Covid, tuberculosis or diabetes won’t differently affect Hindu, Muslim or Christian patients,” he said.

“No community medicine student or doctor concerns himself with such data. Even health schemes like Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka are based on a patient’s BPL status. Any e-Hospital initiative of the state or central government doesn’t ask for religion.”