In a bid to make government hospitals more patient-friendly, Health Minister K Muraleedharan on Saturday announced that round-the-clock speciality medical services will be made available at district and general hospitals across the state. The initiative is part of the government’s broader objective of ensuring uninterrupted, high-quality healthcare services for all.
Speciality departments, including Surgery, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, will provide services 24 hours a day, ensuring that people have access to expert medical care at government hospitals closer to their homes.
The expansion of round-the-clock specialty services to the grassroots level is part of a broader initiative to establish patient-friendly hospitals, by declaring treatment, medicines and hospital beds as fundamental rights of every patient.
The project is expected to be rolled out within six months. Initially, it will be implemented at one hospital in each district before being gradually expanded to other hospitals across the state.
The Health Department has appointed Dr Shinu K S, Additional Director of the department’s Administration and Training wing, as Special Officer to coordinate the project.
Under the Special Officer’s guidance, existing facilities at hospitals across the state will be evaluated and necessary arrangements made to ensure the seamless provision of 24-hour speciality services. This will include a comprehensive assessment of the medical, nursing and paramedical staff required, followed by their strategic deployment.
Necessary infrastructure will also be developed at the selected hospitals. The Special Officer has additionally been tasked with coordinating with relevant officials and institutions to ensure the project’s timely implementation, monitoring its progress and submitting regular reports.
The initiative is expected to ease the burden on medical colleges by enabling surgeries and other specialised treatments to be carried out more efficiently, including during night hours. Additionally, it will also provide the public with more accessible healthcare options at district and general hospitals, rather than relying entirely on medical colleges for specialised care.
