When Y. Selvaraj from Balaramapuram decided to visit the capital and attend the district health adalat on Thursday, he wrote down his one grievance on a piece of paper. The last thing he expected was an instant redressal of his grievance, that too by the Chief Minister. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy set the tone for the adalat when he called Mr. Selvaraj to the stage and received his complaint. Mr. Selvaraj is an indigent chronic renal patient who has to undergo twice-a-week dialysis. His appeal was that dialysis facility be arranged at Neyyattinkara district hospital so that he does not have to travel all the way to the Medical College in the city. He also appealed that the service of a nephrologist be made available at the hospital at least once a week.
In three months
After consulting the Health officials, Mr. Chandy announced that permanent dialysis facility will be made available at Neyyattinkara hospital within three months. The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) had already asked the Kerala Medical Services Corporation to set up five dialysis units at the hospital at Rs.54 lakh.
Remani P. Nair, district panchayat president, said that till the facility was set up, the district panchayat’s mobile dialysis unit would be made available for Selvaraj’s dialysis.
Mr. Chandy then announced a treatment assistance of Rs.1 lakh for Mr. Selvaraj from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Varkala Kahar, MLA, complained that Chemmaruthi primary health centre, an accredited, model PHC in the district, did not vehicles. Mr. Chandy, on consultation with the DHS, said the problem would be rectified immediately. The local body representatives and health workers of Chemmaruthi panchayat received with cheer the Health Minister’s announcement that a full-time lab technician would be appointed at the PHC through the NRHM.
Demands
Apart from the 56 complaints received prior to the adalat, 128 complaints were received at the venue by the Health Minister. In all, 133 issues raised by local body representatives and the public were given immediate resolution. Most of the grievances related to the need for additional staff, doctors, facilities and equipment in hospitals.
