COIMBATORE: Four months after the pay ward facility was inaugurated at the district headquarters government hospital, it has been opened to the public. This is the first district headquarters hospital to get a pay ward facility in the state, said officials.
As it is launched under the Tamil Nadu Health System Reform Program (TNHSRP), its charges and facilities are different from pay wards available at medical college hospitals. Considering the welfare of the rural population, minimal charges have been fixed, said officials.
The pay ward has eight separate single-bed deluxe rooms, as well as three-bed sharing and four-bed sharing rooms. The charges are fixed as Rs 2,000/day for individual deluxe rooms and Rs 750/day for the two variants of shared rooms.
As per officials, beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) like government employees and pensioners can use the ward free of cost, for treatments available under the NHIS package. Health Minister Ma Subramanian inaugurated the facility on June 9, 2024.
While medical college hospitals already have this facility, this is the first pay ward established at a government headquarters hospital. Though it was inaugurated four months ago, the process to make it functional was delayed due to issues with the fixation of rent. “The pay ward is situated at the administrative block.
The facilities include separate cots for patients as well as their bystanders, AC, TV, centralised oxygen supply and geysers in all rooms,” said E Raja, Chief Medical Officer of the hospital.