Hospital check shocks Kerala Health minister

Thiruvananthapuram: Health minister K.K. Shailaja on Thursday conducted a surprise check at the general hospital here in the wake of alarming increase in dengue cases in state capital and reports of doctors getting infected in large numbers.

The minister got the shock of her life when she came across beer and alcohol bottles dumped in one of the wards of the hospital. She was upset over the lack of cleanliness in the hospital.

The garbage dumps in the hospital have turned into fertile grounds for breeding of mosquitoes. The minister directed the authorities to clean up the entire hospital premises within 24 hours.

Ms Shailaja who spent one and a half hours at the hospital, said it was the responsibility of hospital staff to ensure that those visiting the premises are not consuming liquor or littering garbage.

The minister also called for effective coordination between the health department and local bodies in carrying out effective vector control measures especially in the urban areas.

More than 30 staff members of the hospital have been hit by dengue over the past one month. DC had given a detailed report on Friday about the pathetic condition of general hospital and other health department hospitals which are facing acute shortage of doctors. While the taluk and district hospitals have witnessed a three to four fold increase in number of fever patients in recent months, there aren’t enough doctors to deal with the situation.

As per norms a taluk level hospital should have 30 doctors. But at manyplaces these hospitals are functioning with just 10 doctors. Similarly, the district hospitals which should have a strength of 60 doctors are managing with just about 30.

Experts called for effective coordination between health department, local bodies and NRHM to scale up the anti misquote operations. Special wards are needed in areas where the dengue cases have been showing an alarming rise over the past couple of weeks.