KOCHI: A Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Vazhakkad in Malappuram district which was devastated in the 2018 flood has transformed into a swanky Family Health Centre with modern facilities, thanks to the support extended by NRI entrepreneur Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, chairman and managing director of VPS Healthcare.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the family health centre, which has been built at an expense of Rs 10 crore under the Rebuild Kerala initiative, on July 24. This will be the largest family health centre in the government sector in the country.
The PHC which was functioning in an old crammed building has been converted into a three-storey 15,000-sq ft family health centre with 10 observation beds, oxygen concentrators, a stabilisation unit, a mini operation room, vision and dental clinic, an advanced laboratory, a modern imaging department, a conference hall, an open gym and a play area for children.
The eco-friendly, energy-efficient building was designed by the students and faculty members of IIT-Madras in association with the students of Government Engineering College, Thrissur.“Vazhakkad is a village where local residents rely on the PHC for healthcare. Around 75,000 people used to visit the facility annually.
Now, we have upgraded it to an FHC and expect around 2 lakh patients a year. The sponsor has handed over a full-fledged hospital with state-of-the-art facilities, which will help ensure better healthcare to the public. We will have facilities ranging from dental care to mental health and a full-fledged lab at the facility,” said Malappuram DMO Dr K Sakeena.
The builders have used eco-friendly Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum panel technology known as Rapidwall for construction “Experts from different fields, along with the local population, joined hands to make this endeavour a success. The participation and involvement of people from various walks of life, including, the best brains of IIT-M and GEC Thrissur, has added value to the project. The credit for the success of the project also belongs to the people who have selflessly associated with us,” said Dr Shamsheer Vayalil.VPS Healthcare is a leading healthcare service provider in GCC nations and India.