Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Chikungunya patients to get medicines free

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy told the Assembly on Wednesday that the State Government would provide free medicines to patients having joint pains caused by chikungunya.

Replying to a debate on the demands for grants for Family Welfare and Medical and Public Health, the Minister said Rs. 7 crore had been set apart for this purpose. Allopathic, ayurvedic and homoeopathic medicines would be made available.

Ms. Sreemathy announced that all Government medical colleges in the State would be upgraded to centres of excellence.

The staff pattern in the Health Department would be revised and two doctors each would be posted to primary health centres.

Now, there was only one doctor and that caused much difficulty. Steps would be taken to ensure that each panchayat had an ayurvedic primary health centre.

She announced that hospitals for women and children would be started at Kasaragod, Thrissur and Mattancherry this year. Casualty wards would be started in all taluk hospitals along the national highways.

She said the State would receive Rs. 200 crore under the National Rural Health Mission over the next five years. However, Kerala was not a focus State of the mission.

The Minister said she had eliminated corruption in the transfer of doctors. Transfers were now being made according to norms.

After the Minister’s reply, the House passed the demands. Later, it observed a minute’s silence in memory of those who had died in natural calamities during the monsoon.

The House will not meet on Friday as the members are to visit their constituencies to oversee relief operations and disbursement of compensation.

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