The Thrikkakara Grama Panchayat Cooperative Hospital, launched 11 years ago under the People's Plan campaign, has drawn up ambitious plans to establish an annexe for the present hospital with state-of-the-art facilities that will be affordable to the poor.
Launched with the declared aim of making healthcare affordable, the hospital has expanded from its initial capital base of Rs. 3 lakh and 1,200 members. People's participation has marked the hospital's growth as seen in the growth of the cooperative membership to 4,000.
The hospital annexe project, to be executed in three phases over three to four years, is estimated to cost around Rs. 9 crore. Money for the project will be raised via bank loans as well as deposits, sponsorships and contributions received from the public under various schemes.
Those making deposits and contributions to the hospital annexe project are being offered attractive terms, including free in-patient accommodation and discounts on treatment and health checkups as per the schemes worked out by the hospital management. The terms and conditions vary from scheme to scheme.
President of the hospital M.M. Abbas said that the prime objective of the hospital was to make healthcare affordable.
The example has already been set by the services now being offered by the Cooperative Hospital, he said, pointing to the five-fold rise in salaries and overhead expenses since the hospital was inaugurated.
However, he said, the hospital had not raised consultation fees beyond a point with the explicit aim of making healthcare accessible to all.
Minister for Co-operation G. Sudhakaran will lay the foundation for the new venture and inaugurate the 11{+t}{+h} anniversary celebrations of the hospital on June 25. Minister for Fisheries S. Sarma will lay the foundation for a specialty diagnostic and health services centre at the same function.
The inauguration is scheduled to be held at the District Panchayat Hall at 11 a.m. K. Babu, MLA, will preside.
The first phase of the hospital annexe project will include building the specialty diagnostic centre, an Ayurvedic treatment facility and eye and dental care centres.
Mr. Abbas said the hospital would make use of the geography of the land under its disposal, reducing as much as possible any alteration of the landscape.
