Kerala doctors seek centre for management skills

Thiruvananthapuram: In view of the humongous challenges being faced by government hospitals in managing patient care services, health experts have mooted a state-level centre on the lines of Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) to provide intense in-service training to doctors in hospital administration.

The problem with most hospitals in the state is that they lack doctors trained in hospital administration who can effectively deal with the day-to-day affairs. More than 1,200 health institutions come under the health service department which include the major ones like district, general hospitals and taluk hospitals.

At the moment, the administrative activities of these hospitals are being handled by doctors deployed under the administrative cadre. Barring a couple of orientation programmes conducted by the Institute of Management in Government (IMG), these doctors do not have any qualification or training worth the name to deal with complex hospital administration matters.

Most doctors are not equipped to handle projects, operational management, financial matters, material and human resources management.

“We need a centre of excellence where doctors can be prepared to handle responsibilities of hospital administrator, develop knowledge, skill and attitude to don the role of hospital managers. The centre should help doctors in developing expertise in planning and managing different types of hospitals and equipping them with problem solving skills,” said KGMOA secretary general K.A. Raoof. He said several issues like human resource development, quality health care, emergency services and management of logistics require top priority. Those handling administration need to effectively deal with problems plaguing the hospitals including maintenance of facilities, equipment, hospital acquired infections and redressal of grievances of patients, doctors and paramedical staff.

Many doctors who are handling administrative work in major hospitals just have the experience of running primary health centres or community health centres.

The doctors hope that the proposed health policy will make a concrete recommendation for establishing an institution which can be called Kerala Institute for Health Administration and Research.