Kerala to launch Statewide public outreach initiative to revitalise health services

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The Kerala government has proposed a State-wide public outreach initiative to gather public opinion on deficiencies in the health system and patient care services and to seek suggestions on how health service delivery can be improved to meet the expectations of the people.

The programme, titled “Kayakalpam”, will be kicked off on June 9 in Kozhikode, with an interactive session, in which healthcare professionals, health administrators, elected representatives, Local Self-Governments (LSG) members as well as members of the public will participate.

The initiative, which will cover all districts, is expected to help re-assess and restore the effectiveness and credibility of the State’s public health system.

Kayakalpam is an attempt at revitalising the public health system by reaching out to the public as well as health administrators directly, so that the healthcare delivery challenges and crises they encounter on a daily basis can be understood directly, Health Minister K. Muraleedharan has said.

“As a first step, detailed information is being gathered on the existing health infrastructure, facilities and human resources from community health centre-level upwards to see how these can be optimised. We need to know where infrastructural gaps are persisting, where health facilities are idling and where shortage of human resource is preventing the optimum use of facilities. This exercise will be done at the tertiary care level also,” according to Health officials.

As the precarious financial situation of the State may not allow fresh infusion of funds for immediate infrastructure creation, the government will explore the possibility of selective private health investments. The Health department will enhance coordination with the LSG department to utilise local funds effectively where healthcare delivery is lacking due to facility or staffing shortages.

Health professionals from modern medicine and Ayush, health administration officials as well as representatives of hospital devel