THRISSUR: Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy said on Saturday that the Government would formulate a "people's health policy" that would lay emphasis on preventive aspects of health care.

Inaugurating a new water boiler, built at a cost of Rs.1 crore, at the medicine manufacturing unit of the Government-owned Oushadhi pharmaceuticals at Kuttanellur, near here, the Minister said most of the public health institutions in the State were facing acute shortage of staff.

Nearly 40 per cent of the posts in such institutions were vacant.

The Government will soon take steps to fill the vacancies. Steps had already been taken to ascertain the sanctioned staff strength of each institution and probe why the posts were vacant.

The reasons for vacancies in public health institutions under the local bodies not being filled will also be probed, the Minister said.

Ms. Sreemathy said the staff pattern in public health institutions in the State was fixed way back in 1961.

Steps will be taken to revise the staff pattern in accordance with the changes that have taken place since then, she said.

Crisis

She said the health sector in the State that had received worldwide acclaim in the past was facing crisis because of its inability to cater to the needs of the marginalised sections of society.

The Government will strive to provide more medicines and beds in public hospitals as well as tone up the sanitation and waste-treatment facilities in them.

Earlier, the Minister visited the district hospital and held talks with the authorities on steps to be taken for its development. She promised Government support in all initiatives in this regard.

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