Govt makes wrong diagnosis to strengthen health sector

Even as the government is moving ahead with setting up Medical Colleges in all the districts, the medical fraternity in the state points out lack of vision and plan on the part of government in strengthening the health sector of the state. Instead of medical colleges that bring out undergraduates, they call for strengthening the treatment facilities at secondary and primary level hospitals.

The government is thinking of new medical colleges even as the medical colleges at Palakkad, Manjeri and Idukki is likely to loss the Medical Council of India recognition. Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) secretary Dr C P Vijayan opined that the state did not need more medical colleges for increasing the treatment facilities but the need of the hour was to increase the treatment facilities at the primary and secondary level of hospitals, including the district, taluk and general hospitals.

He also said that the government should only go for new Medical Colleges after conducting a proper study if these institutions that only produce undergraduates are needed. Even the allotment of Medical Colleges in the private sector should be looked into, he added.

There are already 30 medical colleges in the state recognised by the Medical Council of India with about 3350 seats available. As per records, about 55,000 doctors have registered with the State Medical Council. When the doctor patient ratio as per WHO is 1: 1000, the state has a ratio of 1:700, which is far better than the universal standards. It is at this juncture that the state government is setting up new colleges as per its policy. Moreover, it is also alleged that the existing medical colleges though having sufficient funds are lagging in academic, research and training activities as well as patient care.

Source: the newindian express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/364935/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/30-10-2014#page/5/1

Kerala Govt takes a revolutionary Land step

Despite pressures to pay compensation of about 20 to 25 crores for the 75 acres of land to be acquired for setting up the Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) at Wayanad, the government at last decides to give Rs 1.9 crore as compensation for the value of improvements/structures the lessee had done in the said land.

The Wayanad district collector had reported to the government that a compensation of Rs 1.9 crore could be given to the lessee for the structures/improvements he had done in the said land at Mananthawadi. The revenue department had forwarded the proposal to the Health department, which has been entrusted to pay the compensation.

The compensation was fixed after the government resumed 75 acres of land in Mananthwadi. In the order that was issued in August, it has been clearly stated that the lessee M/s Glen Leven Estate was not entitled for the value of the land as the jenmom right was vested with the government. However, the lessee is entitled only for the value of improvements/structures it had done in the said land. Moreover, the land was declared as excess land by the Taluk land Board.

Before the government came up with an order to resume the land, there was much pressure for giving compensation for the 75 acres of land. Even the Advocate General had in his legal opinion favoured compensation to the estate owners. The Express had then exposed the move with the Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan taking up the issue. The State Land Board and the Revenue Department had come out against providing compensation. The land Board in its report had said that the 75 acres of land to be acquired came under exempted category and was ''controlled land'' for which no compensation need be given.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/357098/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/16-10-2014#page/5/1

Kerala faces shortage of H1N1 drugs

With the Central Government stopping the supply of drugs for H1N1, the government hospitals as well as private hospitals are facing scarcity of the drug. In many of the hospitals, the supply of Tamiflu, which is mainly used for H1N1 has been stopped. The Kerala Medical Services Corporation (KMSCL), which are the main suppliers have only released the medicines till August, which has resulted in the acute shortage.

Some of the hospitals have gone for local purchase and that too is becoming difficult with the scarcity of the drug in the market. When a few of the general hospitals in the state face dearth in the stock of drugs, only some of the hospitals have bought them from the local market. With the general hospitals itself finding it hard to meet the requirement, the taluk and other hospitals are having no stock at all.

Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital superintendent Dr Faseelath Beevi told express that they had no supply from the KMSCL. ''We have some stock of the drug through local purchase. It is the general hospital that supplies the drug to other hospitals in the district, which is not happening now. The supply can be done to the other hospitals only if the KMSCL makes available the drug,'' she said. This is just not an issue at Thiruvananthapuram general Hospital.

Most of the DMOs is learned to have written to the government for supply of the drug. ''It is better to have enough stock of the drug. In case of any outbreak of H1N1, it would be difficult if enough drug is not available. Most of the hospital superintendents have written to the government regarding this. However, the government is yet to take any action in this,'' sources said. 

source> The new indian exopress

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/355188/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/13-10-2014#page/5/1

 

Karuna Estate: revenue dept for cancelling all mutations

The Revenue Department that probed the controversial Karuna Estate issue has recommended cancelling the mutation of all excess land in their possession as per the Kerla Land Reforms Act. The land Board Secretary in the report also calls for retrieving all illegally possessed lands.

In the report, Land Board secretary P Mary Kutty has recommended surveying 3129 acres of land in the region for tracing the exact area of land that is vested with the government after 1970.

The Revenue Divisional Officers should be directed to cancel the mutations of all excess lands immediately, the secretary said in the report that was submitted to the government recently.

Apart from this, she also recommends a high level team comprising of Revenue, Survey, Forest and Registration to trace the excess land that has to be vested with the government. And another special team should be constituted with officials from the Survey, Forest and Revenue for surveying the whole region.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/352055/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/08-10-2014#page/5/1

Inmates of Poor home gets new roof after nine long years

After a long wait of nine years, the inmates of Sree Chitra Poor Home have finally got a new roof over their heads. However, it took constant intervention from various agencies such as District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) , Youth Commission and Women's Commission to make the authorities wake up from their slumber.

Though the first floor was inaugurated in 2005 and the second floor in 2006, the inmates were not shifted to the new building from the old one, which was in a dilapidated condition. In the last one year, the DLSA, Youth Commission, Women's Commission and various other agencies had lashed out against the authorities against the poor conditions at the Home. Even some of the inmates had come out against the administration, alleging that they had to live in very poor conditions.

The children aged 5 to 11 and 16 to 18 were shifted to the new building on Wednesday. The children aged 12 to 15 will remain in the same old building.

Though inaugurated nine years ago, the only reason said for not shifting the inmates was that flooring and some electric works were not complete. In the old building, the inmates mostly slept on the concrete floor. The long hall where the inmates were housed was almost dark with no proper lights. Only a few of the toilets were in working condition and that too pathetic. 

Source:  The New Indian express  

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/348728/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/02-10-2014#page/17/1