Thiruvananthapuram: The Government has issued orders setting up Hospital Management Committees (HMCs) for taking up development activities and paying attention to the welfare of patients in the district and taluk hospitals, community health centres, primary health centres, rural dispensaries and Government hospitals which come under the local bodies.

Such committees have been set up in the Ayurveda and Homoeo hospitals and dispensaries also.

The commitee

The president of the local body will be the chairperson and the chairperson of the standing committee for public health, the vice-chairperson of these committees.

Not more than five members, including two women of the standing committee on public health, the ward member, engineers of the local body, Electricity Board and Water Authority and three social workers to be nominated by the local body, will be its members. In addition to them, the political parties of the district which have representation in the Assembly and the political parties which have representation in the three-tier panchayats can nominate a person each to the committee.

The medical officer of the institution will be the member-secretary and convener.

With the coming into effect of the hospital management committees, the existing hospital development committees will cease to exist.

The Government has asked the HMCs to register under the Charitable Societies Registration Act and function as societies.

A high-level committee has been constituted to prepare the rules and bylaws for the functioning of the HMCs.

It consists of the Principal Secretary for Local Self-Government, Health Secretary, Health Kerala Mission Director, DHS, Director of Indian Medicine, Homoeopathy Director, representative of Finance Department, S. Radhakrishnan, Dr. K. Vijayakumar of Kozhikode Medical College and Rajan Babu of Health Department.

Functions

The HMCs are to give directions for the proper conduct of public health activities and ensure the quality of services.

It will also have to oversee construction activities, the use of vehicles, equipment, water supply, cleaning, facilities for patients, field activities and waste management.

Its duties will include keeping an eye on the purchase of medicines, furniture and equipment, ensuring of transparency in the functioning of the hospital and checking of corruption.

It can take steps to ensure public participation and mobilise funds for the development of the hospitals.

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