MALAPPURAM: Health minister K.K. Shylaja on Monday said upgrading of health institutions unnecessarily in the recent past in the state had created more discomfort for them. Presiding over a high-level review meeting at the Govt Medical College in Manjeri, which was a general hospital till 2013, she suggested that enhancing facilities would have brought more tangible results. “Mere act of changing the name boards would not help,” she said.
The college has eaten up a significant chunk of infrastructural facilities of the hospital, denying many services to hundreds of patients. Doctors also frequently demanded to keep the hospital intact while many of its rooms became classrooms and staffrooms. The minister’s visit to assess and take stock of the situation here was a long pending demand of the public. Top health officials including additional chief secretary Rajeev Sadanandan accompanied the minister. She asked the concerned authority to prepare a master plan for development.
“The college is still in infancy, and procedural lapses have hit developmental works. The government would seek the possibilities of bringing the college under Aardram project and improve facilities,” she said. “The minister’s visit was fruitful. She has promised to ease procedures to release more funds especially for the hostel,” said M. Ummer M.L.A. Mr Sadanandan alleged that many students had violated dispositions in the bond they executed during the time of admission. “We will initiate legal actions including revenue recovery against them,” he said.
