Lifecare Centre, a joint venture of the Central public sector unit HLL Lifecare Limited and the Government of Kerala, has opened its fifth centre in Kerala and its second in north Kerala at Koyilandi Taluk Hospital.
The centre was inaugurated by K. Dasan, MLA. The Lifecare Centre offers surgical implants and other medical products at discounts ranging from 10 to 60 per cent.
The interlocking set that is used in the surgery of the thigh bone costs around Rs.7,000 in the market, but is priced at just Rs.2,200 at the Lifecare Centre. The AMP implant that is used in bipolar surgeries has a market price of Rs.4,000 but is available at the centre for Rs.1,700. In addition to subsidised services for the needy, the centre also provides cashless services to RSBY card holders.
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Efforts are also underway at the hospital to provide scanning services at discounted rates in association with the Lifecare Centre.
The Lifecare Centre at Koyilandi Taluk Hospital is the second to be opened in north Kerala.
The Lifecare Centre at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College that started functioning in October 2011 was the first in this chain. Services centre are available in major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Tirupati among others.
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Lifecare Centres are also functioning at SCB Medical College, Odisha, Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, Ernakulam General Hospital, Vadakara District Hospital, Pathanamthitta General Hospital, and the Thiruvananthapuram Regional Institute of Ophthalmology.
In view of private agencies charging different rates at different hospitals for surgical and ophthalmic equipment, the Lifecare Centre would help address the uncertainties and lack of proper systems in this sector, a spokesman for the centre said on Saturday.
The government has granted permission to open Lifecare centres in four other Government medical colleges, District and Taluk hospitals to provide products at reasonable prices for those depending on Government hospitals.
Koyilandi Muncipal chairperson K Shantha presided over the inaugural function while Health Standing Committee Chairperson, K.V. Sheeja and Girish Kumar, Senior Vice President of HLL Healthcare Services, spoke.