Kerala: Ailing medical college hospitals need immediate attention

Thiruvananthapuram: One of the biggest challenges before the LDF Government would be to deal with the new medical colleges that had been opened in haste by the previous government without providing adequate staff and infrastructure. While three of the medical colleges have taken off with academic activities despite inadequate infrastructure and staff, the rest are still struggling to come on tracks.

At a time shortage of doctors, nursing and paramedical staff is adversely affecting patient care services, the setting up of new medical colleges had only put additional burden on the existing infrastructure. For instance, the new medical college at the general hospital here, which is the tenth in the public sector, was set up combining the facilities of general hospital and women and children hospital Thycaud.

The Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) had opposed the new medical college at the general hospital and Konni citing shortage of staff and infrastructure facilities.  Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) too had expressed reservations over combining medical college and state health sector doctors in the newly opened medical colleges.

The existing medical college hospitals are bursting at the seams. The premier Trivandrum Medical College which has 200 MBBS seats should ideally have 900 beds, but existing bed strength is 2750 beds and in patient strength at a given time over 4000.  Similarly, Kozhikode medical college has 250 medical seats, the highest in the state.

Going by the seats, it should have 1100 beds. But the existing bed strength is 2800 and in patient strength more than 4000. Medical experts say the government should focus on existing medical colleges and enhance facilities in district, general and taluk hospitals to ease the pressure on super speciality hospital.