Kerala: Cath lab to be set up at GMC Ernakulam

Kochi: The Government Medical College, Ernakulam is to be given a catheterisation laboratory for the Cardiology Department as a first step towards setting up of a full-fledged super specialty block.

Though no date has been set for the college being given the facility, however, it will be part of the department within a year’s time with more doctors joining as well.

The government has approved of development proposals related to the medical college for the medical college and is now in the final stages of finalizing the detailed project. The plan includes a Superspecialty Block, Maternal and Child Health Center and Quarters for Nurses and PG Students.

Rajeev Sadanandan, Health Secretary, told the Hindu, the projects to be initiated early next year would help give the hospital the status it calls for in another three years.

The next step would be to send the project proposals to the the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board for fund approvals.

Dr. Sadanandan clarified that staff integration issues that had been emerging in the past three years, ever since the government took over have also been resolved and work had begun to progress in the right direction. The staff strength issue was also being addressed, he added.New doctor appointments of late have given form to the department in Forensic Sciences and Psychiatry and strengthened certain other departments as well.

Community Medicine of the college calls for recruitment as well while administrative recruitment is underway.

Though a 16 year old institution, GMC Ernakulam has yet to acquire an infrastructural stature that could have the poor depend on it in terms of their medical care needs.

Except for the 500-odd beds, the basic infrastructure of the institution has continued to remain weak due to proper systems not being in place.Therefore making effective running of the medical institution difficult.