THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the countdown begins for the inauguration of the new multi-speciality block at the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) on Thursday, the hospital authorities have start shifting patients to the new block.
According to the hospital authorities, the shifting process were started after various ICUs were made operational post the mandatory trial run. The ICUs in various departments together have 146 beds.
“The shifting process will help the patients, doctors and other medical staff to get acquainted with the new facilities,” said Dr M S Sharmad, MCH superintendent.
“The first department to start functioning was the geriatric OP. It was followed by the commissioning of the neurosurgery and surgical ICU in the polytrauma wing. It would take about three months for all the units to be functional,” he said.
The seven-storey building comprises a power station and gas plant, mortuary complex, geriatric centre, multi-disciplinary ICU, surgery and neurosurgery ICU, cardiothoracic surgery ICU and a cardiac ICU.
Regional Geriatric Centre
According to the Health Department, the multi-speciality block is part of its slew of initiatives in making the MCH a centre of excellence, and to provide quality treatment at affordable rates.
The MCH superintendent said the major highlight of the new multi-speciality block will be the Regional Geriatric Centre, a first of its kind among the state-run medical colleges. The centre is expected to provide advanced training for doctors, nurses, social workers and physiotherapists intervening in geriatric care across the state. The centre, devoted to give care and treatment to persons of 60 years and above, will have 32 hi-tech beds also. The department has plans to introduce a postgraduate programme in geriatrics.
“The other takeaways include a stroke ICU and a state-of-the-art multi-disciplinary intensive care unit (MDICU),” Sharmad said.
The MDICU, which will function under the anaesthesia wing of the MCH, will have 24 beds - 12 for highly-critical patients - and the rest for patients who have overcome critical condition. The centre will handle cases including multi-organ dysfunction syndrome and organ failure.