: Minister for Health K.K. Shylaja on Monday said that the government was planning to upgrade primary health centres (PHCs) into family health welfare centres as part of its attempts to bring qualitative changes in the health sector.
Speaking after inaugurating a Paediatric Oncology Out patient block of Regional Cancer Centre here, Ms. Shylaja said the government wanted a decentralised health system, with a general practitioner stationed in each and every village. These general practitioners should be equipped to refer patients to the respective specialist for specialised treatment, she said.
She expressed concern at the increase in lifestyle diseases and wanted other medical establishments to improve their facilities like the RCC. Regional Cancer Centre director Paul Sebastian presided over the function. M. Krishnan Nair, founder-director of the RCC, Federation of Malayalee Association of America national president Anandan Niravel, Medical Education Director Ramla Beevi, Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Principal Thomas Mathew, RCC Medical Superintendent K. Ramadas, Additional Director P. Kusuma Kumari offered felicitations.
The Paediatric Oncology block has been constructed with the assistance of the FEMA.
