The District General Hospital (GH) will offer a slew of new facilities as it prepares to become a superspecialty hospital by mid-2020.
A superspecialty block is expected to be ready by June, according to hospital superintendent Dr. A. Anitha. She said Inkel Ltd., which is constructing the block, had indicated that tenders for purchase of equipment had been floated.
Once the block is ready, the hospital will offer services on par with private hospitals. Among the crucial projects in the offing are an advanced trauma care centre and a digital X-ray facility.
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In the absence of proper infrastructure for trauma care, a good number of cases are now being referred to medical colleges in Alappuzha or Thrissur as well as private hospitals. Incidentally, the hospital has only one neurosurgeon.
The orthopaedic section attends to around 50 cases a day on an average, but there are no facilities to handle grievous injuries.
A full-fledged trauma care centre is expected to address this issue. Interestingly, the trauma centre is being set up using the corporate social responsibility funds of Air India Express.
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The proposed digital X-ray facility, being set up at a cost of ₹1.75 crore, will give the hospital a competitive edge thanks to its capacity to provide immediate results, not to mention the ease of taking X-rays with low dose of radiation, according to a statement issued by T.J. Vinod, MLA. The facility is being built using Mr. Vinod’s asset development funds.
The digital X-ray facility will also be the first in the State, the statement said, adding that the long wait by patients for results would be a thing of the past once the new facility was ready. At present, around 400 X-rays are taken a day at the hospital using machines that are over 15 years old, it added.
Arts and Medicine
Meanwhile, Arts and Medicine, a popular musical programme, has been revived at the General Hospital after a hiatus of five months.
The weekly musical interlude had been much appreciated by patients and bystanders. The weekly programme had become a huge hit, with several singers and bands coming forward to join hands with Mehboob Orchestra that facilitated the programme.
This time around, Cochin Shipyard Limited will be promoting the programme instead of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, which had to bow out reportedly owing to fund crunch.