The Kozhikode district unit of the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) has urged the State government to have dedicated ‘delivery points’ at taluk hospitals and the Government Hospital for Women and Children (WMC), Kozhikode, to ensure better services to pregnant women.
C.K. Shaji, who recently took over as the KGMOA district president, said here on Sunday that the hospitals at Thamarassery, Koyilandy, Vadakara, and Kuttiyadi and the WMC should have six to seven dedicated staff to attend delivery cases. They should also have facilities such as blood bank and others. This would go a long way in reducing health complications in a majority of delivery cases, he said.
Need for more doctors
Dr. Shaji also flagged the doctor-patient ratio in Kozhikode, which, he claimed, was the lowest in the State. “There is only one doctor for a population of 9,000 here while the standard ratio could be at least 1:900,” he said. He said that doctors in outpatient wards in government hospitals were not able to pay enough attention to patient because of this. “With the improved infrastructure in government hospitals, more people are now approaching us for treatment. However, a primary health centre with four doctors are now examining around 200 patients a day. This is affecting the quality of our service. There is an urgent need to appoint more staff,” he said.
The KGMOA has sought the involvement of elected representatives from the district to solve the issue. According to sources, the doctor-patient ratio was much better in districts such as Malappuram and Wayanad.