The District Collector will soon convene a meeting to discuss the formation of a Hospital Development Society (HDS) at the Ernakulam Medical College. The State Election Commission has already cleared the government order on setting up the society.
HDS is the major decision-making body in any government healthcare institution. The society, with the District Collector in the chair, will have officials of major government agencies as members. The Principal of the college will be the secretary of the society. The District Medical Officer, the Medical College Hospital superintendent, officials of the PWD, KSEB, KWA and other government agencies will be the members. Political nominees to the society will be appointed only after the model code of conduct is lifted.
Though from March 1 the medical college hospital started receiving the government generic medicine supplies, they lacked the full range of medicines generally prescribed by doctors. A retail outlet that sells all medicines at discounted rates had been a major demand ever since free treatment began at the medical college.
As the medical college is located at least five kilometres away from the main bus route, patients have to depend on autorickshaws to reach the hospital. The medical college also does not have a canteen that is open after 8 p.m. These are some of the issues that remain unaddressed at the medical college.
The HDS is expected to address these issues to make the facilities of the medical college accessible to poor patients.
