THRISSUR: There has been a marginal increase in the number of delivery cases in government-run hospitals in the state, Health Minister V S Sivakumar has said. He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for a hospital for women and children at General Hospital here.
As many as 1.5 lakh delivery cases were held in the state this year, marking a three per cent increase from the previous year, the minister said. There has also been a marked increase in normal delivery cases as compared to Caesarean sections held in previous years. The minister added that hospitals for women and children are being set up at as many as seven districts in the state and foundation stone-laying ceremonies are being held in Thrissur and Pathanamthitta. A hospital for women and children would soon be set up at Kozhikode, Kannur, Palakkad and Malappuram districts.
In the health sector, the state government will be giving priority to Thrissur district, as the headquarters of the health university is in the district. There has also been a considerable drop in the infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate in the state and the state government has taken steps to bring it down further, the minister said.The minister also opened a Pakalveedu, a palliative care centre here for rehabilitated mentally challenged people, in the morning.
The centre will provide free medical support to patients who have successfully overcome their mental illness. Therambil Ramakrishnan MLA presided over the meeting. Meanwhile, patients at the General Hospital protested when the out-patient section of the hospital was closed as part of the stone-laying function. Upon hearing the commotion, the minister intervened in the issue and directed the hospital staff to resume the OP as usual.