Kerala govt to provide 24‑hour specialist services in district hospitals

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 22 (IANS) Kerala’s new Congress government is signalling a major shift in how public healthcare is delivered, with Health Minister K. Muraleedharan, son of former Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader K. Karunakaran, seeking to bring specialist treatment beyond medical colleges and closer to people’s homes.

The government has announced that district and general hospitals will provide specialist services round the clock, with the first phase covering at least one hospital in every district and implementation targeted within six months.

The services will cover medicine, surgery, orthopaedics, paediatrics and gynaecology, with facilities to support even emergency procedures and surgeries during night hours.

The move could mark a departure from a system in which medical colleges often become the last resort for patients needing specialist care. By strengthening hospitals at the district and general levels, the government hopes not only to make expert treatment more accessible but also to ease the growing pressure on medical colleges.

The initiative comes as Muraleedharan seeks to reshape the Health Department around a more patient‑centric model, with treatment, medicines and beds proposed as basic rights of patients. The minister has also ruled out privatisation of government hospitals, making clear that strengthening the public system remains central to his approach.

A special officer, K.S. Shinu, Additional Director in the Health Department’s Administration and Training wing, has been appointed to oversee the project. The team will assess existing infrastructure, map the availability of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, and deploy personnel as needed. Hospitals will also be upgraded with the infrastructure needed to sustain 24‑hour specialist services.

The challenge before Muraleedharan, however, is not merely to announce another healthcare scheme but to make it work on the ground. If implemented successfully, the initiative could shift Kerala’s public healthcare model from a medical‑college centred system to a stronger network of hospitals, with specialist care available closer to where people live.

–IANS

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