THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an attempt to put an end to the difficulties being faced by patients seeking treatment at government medical colleges and addressing the shortage of space, the health department has added 820 new beds in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Thrissur, and Kozhikode medical colleges.
The move is part of an initiative announced by Health Minister K Muraleedharan to ensure that no patient is forced to lie on the floor due to a shortage of beds.
"At Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, we identified as many as 80 patients lying on the floor. As part of the initiative, we shifted the fever clinic to Pulayanarkotta Chest Disease Hospital. Thus, we now have an additional 300 beds. In Kozhikode and Kottayam, we have added 160 beds each, while in the Thrissur Medical College, we have set up two additional wards, adding 200 beds," said an official with the Department of Health.
The minister, in July, had said no patient should be made to lie down and that the government has taken steps to end the practice of accommodating patients on the floor in state-run medical college hospitals.
"With the help of the superintendent and the staff at the medical college hospitals, we estimated the number of additional patients by cross-checking the inpatient register and bed strength. The additional beds have been arranged based on the numbers we have collected," said the official.