KOCHI: A district-level hospital that performs open heart surgeries, kidney transplants and more than 1,300 keyhole surgeries may seem a myth.
However, with infrastructure development, team building and resources, the Ernakulam General Hospital (GH) has been achieving milestones one after the other, bringing hope to people in Ernakulam and nearby districts. The GH is set to create history by becoming the first district-level hospital to perform a heart transplant. It will be executed under the heart transplant programme set to be launched this month.
Ernakulam GH became the first general hospital in Kerala to perform an open heart surgery in 2021 and in November 2023, became the first district-level hospital in the country to perform a kidney transplant.
“The heart transplant programme will be launched by April. We have developed our own team to perform the surgery. So far, we have performed five renal transplants. The hospital received the licence from the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (K-SOTTO) to perform heart transplant in December 2024,” said Dr Shahirsha, the Ernakulam GH superintendent. He said the hospital is planning to perform the heart transplant, which costs around Rs 8 lakh to Rs 9 lakh, for free for at least the first few cases.
“The patient will have to take care of the follow-up treatment. The programme is being launched with the support of CSR funds of several companies,” Dr Shahirsha said.
Established in 1845, the Ernakulam GH is one of the oldest public sector hospitals in Kerala and is funded by the state government.
Dr Junaid Rahman, its former superintendent, said from the early 2000s, the superintendents, doctors and staff have been taking initiatives to improve the services provided at the GH.
“In 2011, we became the first government hospital to get accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH). Establishment of the new block and super speciality departments helped provide quality care to patients,” he said.
Dr Shahirsha said like any other government hospital in Kerala, they too faced financial crisis, and many departments were in a shambles. “However, consistent efforts from the public, staff and the authorities helped,” he said.
1,700 colorectal surgeries
As many as 1,700 colorectal surgeries have been performed in the hospital so far. The achievement was highlighted by Health Minister Veena George.
“Ernakulam General Hospital recently achieved a new milestone in cancer surgery with more than 1,700 colorectal surgeries conducted so far. Of these, around 1,300 are laparoscopic keyhole surgeries. The most common surgeries performed for cancer treatment are on the abdomen, colon, hernia, pancreas, and oesophagus,” she said on Facebook.
The minister said most of the cases that come to the GH are complicated.
“So, we promoted minimally invasive procedures. This reduces hospital stay and ensures easy recovery. When a patient leaves in three or four days, another can occupy their bed, ensuring treatment for more people at an affordable cost,” Dr Shahirsha wrote.
“As a district-level hospital, the Ernakulam General Hospital is setting an example before the country. It is equipped with state-of-the-art treatment facilities such as a LINAC (Linear accelerator) for radiation therapy, a central lab with advanced technology that operates 24 hours a day, a cardiac cath lab for angiography and angioplasty, colour doppler, and echocardiography,” Veena posted.
Team building
Along with infrastructure development, several programmes were launched to train and motivate the hospital staff. “The team building helped in conducting the first open heart surgery,” said Dr Shahirsha, emphasising that strengthening the team is one of the reasons for the GH’s success.
Better work culture also made the hospital more accessible for patients, according to Dr Junaid. “Over time, we could develop a better work culture among doctors and staff. The staff became more approachable. The palliative care department helped inculcate the culture of care among staff. This work culture has had a huge impact on the success of the hospital,” he said.
Next steps
The GH is planning to set up a dietary and nutrition block, a community pharmacy, a maternal and child health division, and establish ENT implant surgeries. “The hospital has been selected to be transformed into a health hub. Through establishing more departments and providing quality treatment and services, we aim to be a health hub in the public sector,” said Dr Shahirsha.
Dr Junaid said since the start, the principle the hospital followed was to charge only the actual amount of the procedure. This, he said, helped people in Ernakulam and nearby districts. Dr Junaid said the contribution of private parties and people’s representatives in the GH’s development is notable. “Several development projects in the hospital were carried out using CSR funds of industries in and around Ernakulam. The people’s representatives, the MLAs and MPs, were also keen on the development activities,” he said.
Facilities 743 bed capacity
Cancer block with 104 beds, specialised ICUs and separate wards for male and female patients
Largest dialysis unit with 54 dialysis machines that can treat 160 patients a day in three shifts
First district-level hospital to perform kidney transplant
Comprehensive palliative care unit