24-hour speciality care: Doctors call plan impractical, government says it will go ahead; Punalur hospital to launch service on September 1

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Health Department has stepped up preparations to provide 24-hour speciality services at district and general hospitals, despite opposition from the doctors’ association. The service is scheduled to begin at Punalur Government Hospital on September 1, followed by other hospitals.

The Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) said the plan would be impractical if it is implemented merely by redeploying existing staff without appointing enough doctors and other personnel.

Speciality services in medicine, surgery, orthopaedics, paediatrics and gynaecology will be available round the clock. The Health Department will assess the availability of doctors, nursing staff and paramedical personnel and deploy them accordingly. Necessary infrastructure will also be arranged.

The department expects the move to provide people with access to specialist treatment around the clock at government hospitals closer to their homes. With district and general hospitals also offering services at night, including surgeries, the move could help reduce the heavy patient load at medical colleges.

Facilities at hospitals are currently being assessed under the supervision of Dr Shinu K S, Additional Director of the Health Department’s Administration and Training wing, who has been appointed as the special officer for the project.

‘Public healthcare system will collapse’: KGMOA

KGMOA said the decision was welcome in principle but warned that implementing it without ensuring adequate manpower could weaken the three-tier public healthcare system.

The association said there are not enough doctors and other staff even for existing services. It questioned the plan to introduce the new system through redeployment while the current vacancies remain unfilled.

KGMOA said the government should create speciality-cadre posts and appoint assistant surgeons with postgraduate qualifications. It also called for doctors to be appointed through the Public Service Commission to fill vacancies at primary health centres.