The Kerala government has begun work to end a practice that has long criticized the public health system: Patients being admitted to hospitals because of overcrowding.The project will be implemented at Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, and Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, Health Minister K Muraleedharan said on Sunday, according to PTI.One of the first projects is to shift the malaria clinic at the Thiruvananthapuram medical college to the Pulayanarkotta Tuberculosis Hospital, where 200 beds will be prepared for patients.This follows the decision taken on Saturday in a meeting chaired by Muraleedharan and the officials of the health and medical education department and heads of major hospitals in the state. PTI reports.
Encourage de-congestion
Muraleedharan said the government also wants to address the bottleneck in Kozhikode Medical College by constructing a new block using Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.“Patients are sitting on the floor in Kozhikode Medical College as well. There is enough space in the camp to set up an additional ward and shift the patients there. The aim is to completely eliminate the practice of admitting patients on the floor,” said the minister.According to the minister, the project is managed by the director of medical education and the director of health.The news that patients were being treated in hospitals had drawn much criticism from the Department of Health. The government’s latest plan has now shifted its focus to controlling congestion and banning ground clearance altogether, according to PTI.