Kerala - Kochi   

General Hospital gets new OP block

Photo:H. Vibhu

TO BENEFIT COMMON MAN: Defence Minister A.K. Antony arriving at the District General Hospital to inaugurate the outpatient block in the city on Sunday.

KOCHI: The new modern out-patient block of the District General Hospital here was inaugurated on Sunday by the Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony.

He said that it was good to see government institutions coming up and competing with the private sector in terms of facilities. As medical treatment expenses have gone up tremendously, the government institutions are the only hope for the poor.

There are a large number of government hospitals that require help from outside to improve facilities. The General Hospital has come a long way from its older days when hygiene and facilities were found wanting.

V.R. Krishna Iyer, former Supreme Court judge, said that there was a proliferation of the five-star hospital culture. But the poor have to depend on government institutions. At the function, the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association submitted a memorandum to Mr. Antony with regard to the ongoing non-cooperation stir and the government action transferring specialists from the general hospital. The doctors stayed away from the inaugural function.

The new building of 8,400 sq. ft area that will house all the OP departments of the hospital that are lying scattered across the premises was built with Rs.1.30 crore — Rs.1 crore provided by K.V. Thomas from his MLA Fund and Rs.30 lakh by Ludi Louiz.

The structural plan of the OP has a three-storeyed building though only the ground floor work has been completed. Kochi Refineries Ltd will be providing furniture worth Rs.15 lakh for the new block. Kochi Mayor Mercy Williams, Sebastian Paul MP, MLAs K.V. Thomas, K.Babu and V.K. Ibrahim Kunju, former MLA Ludi Louiz, District Medical Officer K.T. Ramani and Corporation Councillor K.V.P. Krishnakumar participated in the function. Jolly Mathew, executive engineer, PWD, read the report. District Collector M. Beena welcomed and D.Radhakrishnan, Hospital Superintendent, proposed a vote of thanks.

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