In-patient facility at taluk-level not possible: Murali

Health Minister K. Muraleedharan has clarified that providing in-patient facility in healthcare institutions below taluk-level was not possible as a matter of policy as this involves huge investment in human resources, including that of doctors, nurses and other ancillary workers. In-patient facility creation also involved the creation of a host of basic infrastructural requirements which would not be possible at smaller healthcare institutions.

He was replying to a calling attention motion moved by N. Sakthan on Tuesday, who said that IP facility in two family health centres at Pozhiyoor and Chenkal, which were stopped by the previous LDF government, needed to be reinstated. He also said that the development of Neyyattinkara GH needed to be speeded up

Mr. Muraleedharan said that both Pozhiyoor and Chenkal were primary health centres which were converted as FHCs and these were meant to provide primary care services and coordinate public health activities.

With Mr. Sakthan insisting that Pozhiyoor has had IP facility for 15 years, which was withdrawn suddenly, Mr. Muraleedharan said that the government will consider reinstating the IP facility in Pozhiyoor FHC alone as a special case as it served the coastal area.