Information for Referring Doctors
Referral pathway, urgency guidance and direct contact for colleagues in general practice, paediatrics and district hospitals.
Talk to the Surgeon Directly
If you are a doctor referring a child, say so when you call and you will be put through rather than booked. Discussing a case before the family travels usually saves everyone a visit.
Consultation hours 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM. Theatre lists and emergencies do affect availability — a call ahead confirms the surgeon is in. Laboratory and pharmacy run 24 hours.
Please include in a referral
- Age, weight, and gestational age if a neonate
- The clinical question you want answered
- Relevant history and examination findings
- Imaging reports — and the images themselves where possible
- Antenatal scan reports for a congenital finding
- Treatment already given, including antibiotics and doses
- Any relevant comorbidity, syndrome or medication
Referral Urgency
A guide, not a substitute for your own clinical judgement. If in doubt, send the child and call.
Same day / send now
- Bile-stained vomiting in a neonate — suspected malrotation with volvulus
- Irreducible, tender or discoloured inguinal hernia
- Acute scrotum — suspected testicular torsion
- Neonate with a poor urinary stream or palpable bladder — suspected posterior urethral valves
- Failure to pass meconium at 24–48 hours, or no anal opening
- Suspected NEC, perforation or peritonitis
- Frothing neonate who chokes on the first feed — suspected oesophageal atresia
Within days
- Suspected appendicitis not already sent to an emergency department
- Reducible inguinal hernia in an infant under one year
- Febrile UTI in an infant, for imaging and assessment
- Intussusception successfully reduced elsewhere, for review
- Antenatally detected hydronephrosis, for the postnatal pathway
- Progressive abdominal distension or persistent bilious aspirates
Routine outpatient
- Undescended testis persisting beyond six months
- Hypospadias — refer before any circumcision is performed
- Hydrocele persisting beyond two years
- Phimosis with symptoms, or failed topical steroid
- Chronic constipation with red flags, or suspected Hirschsprung disease
- Recurrent UTI for investigation of reflux
- Umbilical or epigastric hernia, and other elective paediatric general surgery
Please note: this hospital provides ICU, NICU, paediatric ventilation and 4K laparoscopy on site. Where a baby needs a level of neonatal intensive care beyond what is available on the day, that is said plainly and onward referral is arranged immediately rather than after admission.
Conditions and Procedures Accepted
Each links to the clinical article, which you are welcome to share with families — every one carries a summary in Tamil and Malayalam.
Paediatric Urology
Paediatric Surgery
Neonatal Surgery
Procedures
Diagnostics available on site
Dr. Pratheep Samraj
Consultant Paediatric & Neonatal Surgeon · Palliyadi, Kanyakumari
Super-specialist surgical care for newborns, infants and children, with expertise in paediatric urology, congenital anomalies, gastro-intestinal surgery and minimally invasive surgery.
Referral Questions
Referring a child?
Call and say you are a doctor, or send the details on WhatsApp. Discussing the case before the family travels usually saves them a journey.
Consultation 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM & 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM · 24-hour laboratory & pharmacy
In an emergency — green vomiting in a baby, a groin swelling that will not go back, severe tummy pain, or a newborn not passing urine or meconium — come straight to the hospital or to your nearest emergency department. Do not wait for a reply to a message.