Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Proposal submitted for upgrading medical college

Staff Reporter

Under Central Government scheme to improve facilities

Thiruvananthapuram: The Medical College authorities have submitted to the Government the final proposal outlining the development activities that could be taken up under the Centrally aided Pradhan Manthri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.

The document, to be submitted to the Centre, was handed over to the Health Secretary on Tuesday by the Medical College Hospital (MCH) authorities.

Under the scheme, the hospital will get a one-time grant of Rs.100 crores for the upgradation of the institution, while the State Government will have to provide Rs.20 crores and bear all recurring expenditure.

"Like all projects aided by the Centre, this one too comes with the condition that the State put in its share of the total budget. For every five crores provided by the State, the Centre will release 25 crores. In fact, if the State does not release Rs.20 crores by 2007-end, we stand to lose the Central aid," according to one of the MCH officials.

The promise of Rs.100 crores aid comes with specific strictures that infrastructure development be kept to the minimum and that attention be focussed on acquiring state-of-the-art diagnostic facilities, improving super speciality courses and for `filling gaps'.

Shortage of space

When acute shortage of space has always been the stumbling block for all development plans for the MCH, the condition that construction activities be minimised, has thrown a spanner in the works.

There have also been widespread criticism from within the medical fraternity themselves that acquiring more hi-tech equipment will do no good to the hospital when several basic problems like lack of common public utilities and overcrowded wards remain unsolved.

However, MCH authorities maintain that they will try to convince the Centre that space creation is crucial to the development of the institution and that they "will make a fight for it".

Accordingly, the MCH authorities have prepared a proposal wherein approximately 15-25 per cent of the Central aid will be utilised for infrastructure development and the rest for improving specialty departments, microbiology and pathology lab services, starting advanced nursing and paramedical courses and buying equipment. Campus improvement, including road development, waste management, computerisation have also been included.

According to an MCH source, the final proposal is a "comprehensive document, need-based, with utmost care given to effective utilisation of funds".

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