Kerala: Medical Teachers seek more involvement in the state's health plan

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Government Postgraduate Medical Teachers Association (KGPMTA) is envisioning a comprehensive change in the state’s health sector with active participation of local self governments (LSG), as the state government moves ahead in the direction of a new health policy.

The suggestions made by the KGPMTA in the direction of the suggested change include: imposition of CESS on industries and agencies that adversely affect health and environment, introduction of microcredit linked health insurance scheme and revamping of the medical education system.

In view of public spending being on the decline the teacher’s body has urged the government to ensure that the minimum annual health expenditure is 10 percent of the state’s GDP, suggesting also that the general public utilize public health amenities to the fullest; including possession of personal health insurance.

Speaking about the peripheral involvement of the local self government’s in health activities the KGPMTA suggested that they be made to shift their concentration from the aspect of curative service in their localities to controlling of bigger issues like potable drinking water, food safety, epidemics and sewerage systems.

The apex teaching body also stated that LSG personnel and citizens be trained in the management of healthcare issues, and that centers be established in all districts/block panchayats for these trainings. It also spoke of local self governments incorporating a micro finance mechanism to provide easy, appropriate, affordable and effective health delivery to citizens in their homes.

The teacher’s forum was of the view that Micro credit-linked health insurance schemes or community financing schemes by LSGs would effectively save the poor from healthcare costs.The KGPMTA also recommended activities of LSG, Kudumbasree and other self-help groups to be incorporated for coordinating health-related activities; favoring a revamp of Public Health Centres’ (PHC) functions as well.

Further it also recommended shift of the responsibility of running hospitals from the Directorate of Health Services to a new ‘Directorate of Hospitals’. It also suggested rehabilitative care and palliative care to be brought under PHCs.

In the medical education sector, KGPMTA stresses upon no new medical colleges to be started in the state, and a separate recruitment board for medical teachers be formed.

The other KGPMTA recommendations include:

Implementation of evidence-based protocols for managing non-communicable diseases, mandatory adherence to a state protocol (evidence-based) by all doctors, including private stakeholders for treating common ailments, a stringent antibiotic policy for all hospitals of the state, an authority to monitor quality and ethical issues of laboratories and establishment of a well networked trauma care management system with emergency medical services.