THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a bid to end the practice of accommodating patients on the floor at the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital, the health department has decided to shift patients from overcrowded wards, including those housing general medicine patients, to the Pulayanarkotta Chest Diseases Hospital.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Health Minister K Muraleedharan and attended by senior officials of the health and medical education departments and heads of major hospitals in the district.
The Pulayanarkotta hospital, which has around 500 beds, will be used to provide inpatient care for patients, including those affected by infectious diseases.During the monsoon, when communicable disease cases typically surge,hospitals often face severe bed shortages, forcing patients to remain on the floor.The minister said the latest decision is part of the department’s policy to eliminate floor admissions in government hospitals.
The minister also directed authorities at the General Hospital to urgently set up a canteen for patients and attendants.
Officials informed the meeting that work under the hospital’s master plan was progressing slowly and recommended replacing the existing special purpose vehicle (SPV).The meeting decided to appoint an experienced agency as the SPV to expedite the project.
Officials were instructed to speed up the construction of a ramp in one of the General Hospital blocks and address water leakage issues by coordinating with concerned agencies.The meeting also decided to strengthen the General Hospital by ensuring round-the-clock functioning of major departments, including cardiology, with the aim of reducing patient congestion at the MCH.
Separately, the minister announced that a new CT scan machine would be installed at the General Hospital in collaboration with the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB).
RGCB will bear the rental and electricity costs, while a fixed amount from each CT scan will be paid to the hospital development committee.