THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Giving a fillip to infrastructural development of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital (MCH) and Chirayinkeezhu taluk hospital, the government has sanctioned Rs 788 crore for their development. While Rs 717.29 crore has been sanctioned to Thiruvananthapuram MCH, the Chirayinkeezhu Taluk Hospital has been provided with Rs 70.72 crore. This follows after INKEL Ltd, the special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed to execute the projects, submitted a brief proposal with the government and requested sanctioning of funds from the Kerala Infrastructure Development Fund Board (KIIFB).
“Last week the administrative sanction was accorded for various projects being planned at the MCH and taluk hospital. In addition to the same, based on the letter of INKEL managing director, the government approved various projects to be executed at Wayanad MCH, Kottayam General Hospital and Mavelikkara district hospital,” said a Health Department officer. As per the proposal, some of the important development activities being planned at Thiruvananthapuram MCH includes renovation activities, development of biomedical engineering department, augmentation of medical gas distribution system and others.
In the case of Chirayinkeezhu taluk hospital, major projects being proposed include renovation of the heritage building, upgradation of existing external infrastructure of the whole hospital compound and others. In the 2017-18 Budget, Rs 400 crore was earmarked for the first phase development of Thiruvananthapuram MCH through KIIFB. In the 2018-19 Budget, while quoting the 69th report of National Sample Survey, the Finance Minister had stated as eight per cent families of rural areas and 12 per cent from urban areas were pushed below poverty line because of unaffordable medical expenses, the government is taking initiatives to enhance treatment facilities to a large extent in medical colleges, district, general and taluk hospitals with the KIIFB’s help.
Meanwhile, it has been found though the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) was assigned with preparing detailed project reports (DPRs) of certain projects for government hospitals, including that of Thiruvananthapuram MCH, as part of health infrastructure modernisation project, it later backed out.
It is learned last October, KSIDC had written to the government an intermediary agency like it is not required to executing said projects and pitched INKEL as SPV for the projects.
The Health Department feels as per the guideline, for availing assistance from KIIFB, the department concerned should have to identify an SPV for executing the projects and it was due to the same that INKEL was nominated as an SPV.