THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of the first leg of Ardram Mission, 35 PHCs will start functioning from 9 am to 6 pm, with three doctors, four nurses, lab technicians and pharmacists from August 17. Apart from outpatient services, these centres will focus on non communicable diseases, depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and counselling clinics. In the wake of growing fever cases and other communicable diseases in the state, primary and community health centres have decided to extend their timing beyond 1 pm.
The CHCs and PHCs normally wind up services by 1 pm leaving the people especially the in the rural areas at the mercy of private clinics and hospitals. The decision to extend the services till 6 pm has come as a big relief to the people. With the government directing the local bodies to utilise plan fund for increasing staff strength, the local bodies have decided to appoint a doctor, a nurse and a paramedic each at primary health centres and two doctors, nurses and paramedics at the community health centres.
The government has assured the local bodies that it would return the money utilised from plan fund for increasing staff strength. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the state level function at Chemmaruthi PHC in Varkala . During the first phase of Ardram Mission, eight medical colleges, 17 district hospitals, 170 PHCs have been included . As many as 961 posts including that of doctors, nurses , para medicals and have been created newly .
