The agreement for a proposed separate wing for the Lakshadweep residents at the Ernakulam General Hospital would be signed in February. Health Minister V S Sivakumar will ink the agreement at a function that will be attended by Laksadweep MP Hamdulla Sayeed.
The decision to expedite the matter was taken during a meeting convened by the District Collector and the Lakshadweep Development Corporation managing director V C Pande on Thursday.
District Collector P I Sheik Pareeth said that measures to set up a new ward was taken to address the grievances of patients from Lakshadweep who were being fleeced by private agents. Pande also urged the collector to send doctors to Lakshadweep to study the condition of the hospitals there.
The Ernakulam hospital, which got accredited by the NABH and the FICCI, has modern facilities for diagnosis, surgery, scanning and dialysis. Help desks would be set up at the Cochin port and the Nedumbasserry airport to cater to the needs of the patients arriving there. The hospital would also provide ambulance services from the port and the airport, at a nominal rate.
District Medical Officer, Fort Kochi Sub-Collector Swagath Bandari, Lakshadweep Development Corporation General Vivek Agarwal were also present.