Thiruvananthapuram: Health department decided to shift patients from overcrowded departments at govt medical college hospital (MCH), including general medicine department, to Pulayanarkotta Chest Hospital as part of measures to eliminate the practice of accommodating patients on the floor.The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by health minister K Muraleedharan, attended by senior officials from health and medical education departments and heads of major hospitals in the district.Pulayanarkotta Chest Hospital, with a capacity of around 500 beds, will be utilised to provide inpatient care for patients, including those suffering from seasonal infectious diseases. The move comes ahead of the monsoon season, when a rise in fever and infectious disease cases often leads to severe overcrowding at the MCH, forcing some patients to be treated on the floor.The minister said the decision was in line with health department’s policy of ensuring that no patient is made to lie on the floor for treatment.To strengthen healthcare services in the capital, the minister directed authorities to urgently establish a canteen at the govt general hospital. It has also been decided to set up a second medical college in the state capital inside the general hospital campus. The building which was constructed during the Oommen Chandy govt inside the GH campus will be utilised as the administrative block for the new medical college.The minister also instructed officials to coordinate with the concerned agencies to expedite the construction of ramps and repair leakages in one of the blocks at general hospital.As part of a broader strategy to reduce the patient load at the MCH, the meeting decided to strengthen govt general hospital by ensuring the efficient round-the-clock functioning of all major departments.The meeting also reviewed the progress of govt medical college hospital master plan project. Officials pointed out that the work was progressing slowly and recommended replacing the existing special purpose vehicle (SPV) with a more experienced implementing agency. The proposal was accepted to accelerate the project.
