The state government is committed to enhance facilities and close monitoring of patients in the Mental Hospital at Peroorkada here, said Health Minister V S Sivakumar in the Assembly on Monday.
Replying to a submission raised by K Muraleedharan against the recurring untoward incidents and deaths in the Government Mental Hospital, he said that the scope of adding more single cells to the hospital will be looked into since it has been found true that there is a dearth of rooms to keep patients turning violent in isolation.
Muraleedharan had called for additional single cells, pointing out that the reason which led to the death of Venkatesappa, 60, a native of Andhra Pradesh, a few days ago was that he was accommodated with others who had a history of turning violent. There are only ten single cells in the hospital now.
The MLA had also demanded immediate measures to implement the decisions related to the betterment of facilities, including a foolproof mechanism to monitor patients such as installing CCTV, taken in the aftermath of the murder of Satnam Singh, a native of Bihar, four months ago.
The Health Minister said that an amount of Rs 20 lakh has been sanctioned for installing CCTV circuit and Keltron is expected to complete the job within two months. He also said that the posts of four assistant surgeons and 20 nurses have been created as part of enhancing the infrastructure in the hospital. In additiont, 11 nurses and ten security guards have been added under the NRHM programme.
Muraleedharan insisted that unless fool-proof measures are ensured, the hospital is poised to hit a bad phase. ‘’The Peroorkada hospital is turning into a killing field,’’ he feared.
Sivakumar said that action has already been initiated against the Mental Hospital authorities in the wake of the recent death. ‘’A high-level committee has been constituted to probe the unnatural death of Venkatesappa. Once the report is submitted, stern action will be initiated against lapses, if any, found against the authorities,’’ the Minister said.