The State government aims to provide cochlear implantation surgery to all those require it, building up on an existing scheme under which 200 surgeries are arranged annually, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said.
He was speaking on the government’s commitment to providing quality health care to all after laying the foundation stone for the maternity block at Sree Avittom Tirunal (SAT) Hospital on the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) premises here on Thursday.
In 2012 alone, SAT treated 1,78,799 patients at just the children’s outpatient wing and the sanctioned number of beds — 765 — was inadequate, considering the escalating rush here. In this light, the new maternity block was being built at a cost of Rs.80 crore, funded by the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
The foundation stone for the multidisciplinary research laboratory and animal house at Government Medical College Hospital would be laid next month, said Minister for Health V.S. Sivakumar, who listed a host of projects that the Health Department would initiate this year.
Rs.28-crore outlay
This project was being implemented with an outlay of Rs.28 crore. Proposals for the construction of a poly ICU facility, a new geriatric ward, and a modernised mortuary were also being considered, he said.
The Director of Medical Education had been asked to prepare a project report regarding the construction of a liver-transplantation unit at the MCH for which the government had set aside Rs.5 crore. As part of the first phase, training was being given to doctors and other staff, Mr. Sivakumar said.
In addition, the work for new buildings for 100 sub-centres across the State would begin on November 1. The government planned to complete this project within 100 days, said the Minister, adding that mini-laboratories would be installed at 250 Primary Health Centres in the State.
The much-touted e-health programme would be initiated next month. Rs.96 crore had been set aside for the programme that envisaged an electronic demographic database whereby the details of a patient who sought treatment in one hospital could be easily accessed by another through a central data server.
“All these initiatives pave the way for a Right to Health Act that needs to be implemented in the country,” said Mr. Chandy.
Also present during the function were Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor and M.A. Vaheed, MLA.
