Health Minister inaugurates development projects at Ernakulam General Hospital

Ernakulam General Hospital (GH) Health Minister K. Muraleedharan inaugurated several development projects and handed over new equipment at the facility. In his remarks, Muraleedharan spoke highly of the hospital's achievements in public health, stating the State government's aim to elevate government hospitals to compete with and surpass private ones.

He inaugurated a walkway with a tensile roof, a yard development and drainage project, and the Gastroenterology department. An endoscopy theatre for the Gastroenterology department, funded by corporate social responsibility (CSR), was also unveiled. Muraleedharan honored Dr. T. Paulose George for his free services in the Gastroenterology department.

He announced a year-long campaign called 'Tharatt' to educate mothers and the public about breastfeeding and promote breast milk banks. The district hospital has performed complex procedures like heart and kidney transplants, and its free food distribution program has been deemed a model. Muraleedharan also pledged support for the development of the GH if the old building of the Kochi Corporation remains for the purpose, addressing space constraints.

He expressed intent to operationalize the K. Karunakaran Memorial Medical College and the Haripad Super Speciality Medical Institute. The Minister instructed the Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society to complete construction at the Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram and called for an emergency meeting to tackle issues at the Cochin Cancer Research Centre.

District-level adalats have been initiated to address shortcomings in the Health Department, with Ernakulam's scheduled soon.