The Thrikkakara Municipal Cooperative Hospital has come a long way since it was established under the People’s Plan Campaign in 1999 with three beds, three doctors and six paramedical staff. Much has happened between then and now. What was then the Thrikkakara panchayat has been designated a municipality; the population under its administration has boomed and it has turned out to be the most happening of towns drawing strength from the city of Kochi.
And, when the second phase of the cooperative hospital is inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday, it will have crossed a major landmark to become a well-equipped hospital with 50 beds, 32 doctors, several speciality departments with paramedical staff to match the requirements and treating around 500 patients on a daily basis.
State-of-the-art casualty and trauma care, and best of treatment rooms mark the growth of the hospital in its second phase that will be unveiled on Monday. The new facility is spread over two floors and 36,000 sq. ft of built-up area.
Amid such commendable achievements over a period of nearly two decades, what makes the hospital stand out is the example it has set in the ethical treatment of patients. The overall cost of treatment at the hospital is about a-third of the other hospitals where such facilities are available, says M.P. Sukumaran Nair, president of the hospital.
It is this ethical approach to medical treatment that has helped the hospital grow, says Board member M.M. Abbas. He adds that over the last decade, about a dozen hospitals have been established in different areas in the vicinity of the hospital. However, the cooperative hospital has found a niche for itself and has grown despite the serious competition.
People-centric
He says the cooperative hospital has fought off the “undesirable” tendencies seen in the medical treatment field. The approach is people-centric, ensuring people’s participation in building an institution that will not only provide healthcare but also educate people about preventive health care, better environmental care, waste treatment and healthy food habits.
Along with daily medical care, the hospital also provides pain and palliative care, undertakes health initiatives for the community and membership to the cooperative is always open to the public, says Mr. Abbas. The hospital also plans to set up an Ayurvedic care centre in the future.
