In the wake of rising fever cases, the government has decided to open outpatient services in the evening at all the hospitals in the state.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting convened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday.
The outpatient service will be available in Medical College Hospitals (MCH) from 4 pm to 8 pm.
“In the taluk and general hospitals the timing of the service will be from 2 pm to 8 pm,” Health Minister V S Sivakumar said after the high-level meet.
The present morning outpatient timings of 9 am to 3 pm in Medical College Hospitals have been changed. The OP service will now be available from 8 am to 2 pm. “The timings in the Primary Health Centres have also been revised,” Sivakumar said and added that the outpatient units would function till all the patients were examined.
“The meet also decided to appoint five general medicine and paediatric doctors each on a temporary basis in Medical College Hospitals,” the minister said and added that 50 doctors would be appointed as per this arrangement.
It was also decided to appoint five lab technicians each in Thiruvananthapuram and Kottayam Medical College Hospitals and two lab technicians each in other Medical College Hospitals on a temporary basis.
The meet attended by Urban Affairs Minister Manjalamkuzhi Ali, Health Secretary Rajeev Sadanandan and officials from the Health Department also decided to provide Rs 1 crore to the Medical College Hospitals as part of the drive against fever.
Another decision was taken to categorise the patients who arrive at the Medical College Hospitals into A, B and C groups, as per the intensity of the ailment.
“A dedicated ward will be set up for patients categorised in the C group, who need much care and attention,” Sivakumar said.