The Kerala government has begun efforts to end a practice long criticized in its public healthcare system: admitting patients on hospital floors due to overcrowding.Health Minister K Muraleedharan reportedly said on Sunday that the initiative will be rolled out first at Government Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram and Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode PTI.The first step is to shift the fever clinic of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College to Prayanakota Chest Diseases Hospital, where around 200 beds will be allocated for patients.The move was taken at a meeting chaired by Muraledharan on Saturday, which included senior officials of the health and medical education departments and heads of major hospitals in the region. PTI Report.
Focus on reducing overcrowding
Muraleedharan said the government also plans to build a new block using corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to address congestion at the Kozhikode Medical College.“Patients at Kozhikode Medical College are also being accommodated on the floor. There is enough space in the campus to set up an additional ward and shift patients there. Our aim is to completely do away with the practice of admitting patients on the floor,” the minister said.According to the minister, the initiative is being coordinated by the Director of Medical Education and the Director of Health Services.The issue of patients being treated on hospital floors has recently sparked widespread criticism of the health department. The government’s latest plans will now reportedly shift focus from managing overcrowding to blocking floor admissions entirely PTI.
