Kerala: Kozhikode Medical College needs a facelift

Kozhikode : The scenes at Kozhikode Medical College of patients lying in the narrow congested corridors, waiting their turn for emergency surgery or post surgery, with a doctor squatting close by examining, bed sheet and ventilator shortages, absence of urinal facility for OPD patients etc could easily be termed as a human rights violation- anywhere in the world.

However, all this goes by as an everyday affair, at one of the oldest and prestigious hospital of the state.

The vision reflected during the establishment of the college by Dr. AR Menon and other prominent citizens of this healthcare hub, seems to be fading away with passing generations.

The Kozhikode College completes 60 years since inception, however, what is reflected in its day to day medical and administrative functioning is mismanagement and faulty implementation of policy, formulated in the name of development.

All this is overlooked in the oft repeated line at the hospital: “If you need to save life, then the patient and bystanders have to bear with the lack of facilities." The staff and infra structure is stretched beyond it's limits it seems, for it provides treatment to double the number of patients, than it has capacity to accommodate.

The medical ward which has facilities to treat 28 people, has a 120 visiting everyday. The result being patients do not get adequate attention from doctors, and treatment is a rushed affair.

What calls for immediate attention in the hospital is- instruments for daily needs, treatment equipment, wheelchairs, and ambulances. Shortage of staff is the next thing that the hospital authorities need to address.550 staff of the hospital development committee are working in the medical college, however, the current staff strength does not match the increased requirement; keeping the everyday foot fall in mind. The pattern of staff deployment in 1957 is still being followed, despite needs having increased manifold.

A three tier health system needs to be implemented to restore the health hub to its former glory.The medical college is the final place of rest after a patient visits primary health centers, taluk and district health facilities.

Kozhikode needs buildings, skywalks, new wards to be introduced, besides of course, new equipment facilities.

In the face of new diseases emerging, treatments have acquired complicated dimensions, however, Kozikhode is falling short in terms of employee strength to match the challenge. The increased workload on the thinning staff numbers reflects in their attitude towards the patients.