Kerala - Kochi   

Facilities at government hospitals to be upgraded

KOCHI: The government healthcare institutions in the district are going to be upgraded and brought on par with the facilities comparable to the District General Hospital.

After a visit to at least five different levels of government hospitals here over the last two days, P.K. Sreemathy, the Minister for Health, has sanctioned Rs. 12 lakh to Rs. 3.5 crore for hospitals from the funds available with the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

A total of 12 health institutions will get tsunami relief funds through NRHM for upgrading facilities.

The visits were done on the basis of the facility survey conducted by the NRHM in the district earlier. NRHM director Dinesh Arora, the Director of Health Services and other officials were also present during the Minister’s visit.

The funds were sanctioned with an eye on changing the image of the government healthcare institutions.

The 155-bed North Paravur government hospital has been sanctioned Rs 3.5 crore to upgrade and modernise facilities by increasing the number of beds, utilising two unused blocks constructed earlier; construction of new wards demolishing the dilapidated condition of the existing wards; blood bank facility; new blocks and quarters for the resident doctors.

The Minister laid the foundation stone for a labour room-theatre complex at the 150-bed Women and Child Hospital at Mattancherry.

A two-storeyed building of 6,000 sq. ft will be built in the first phase that will have a three-stage labour room complex, a post-operative unit, neo-natal unit and blood storage section.

The operation theatre will have modern equipment and the neo-natal unit will be able to provide treatment for most of the problems of the new-born, said K.V. Beena, district manager of the NRHM.

The construction of the Rs. 1.5-crore project by Hindustan Prefab is expected be completed by March 31, 2009, said Dr. Beena.

The newly-built out-patient block that was inaugurated at the district General Hospital some time ago was opened to the public on Sunday by Ms. Sreemathy.

The delay in starting the block’s functioning was due to lack of furniture at the hospital. The Minister has also ordered that the first floor of the new block be utilised for the hospital’s use.

The Minister also sanctioned poverty alleviation funds in many hospitals.

The Fort Kochi hospital has been provided Rs. 50 lakh under the scheme, besides Rs. 50 lakh for the tsunami relief fund. Njarackal hospital has been sanctioned Rs. 12 lakh.

Mrs. Sreemathy said doctors would not be allowed to take long leave as was the practice earlier. Such a step was important to make available doctors in the health service.

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