A primary health centre in Kerala’s Malappuram district, which was destroyed during the 2018 floods, got a fresh lease of life under the ‘Rebuild Kerala’ initiative. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will be inaugurating the elevated hospital on July 24, officials said.
The primary health centre was catering to thousands of poor patients and its destruction was in the news then. Later, UAE-based VPS Health Care group, owned by NRI businessman Dr Shamseer Vayalil, promised to rebuild it. Built at the cost of ₹10 crore, the new hospital and laboratory will be equipped with all modern facilities, said district medical officer NK Sakeena, adding that it will cater to at least 2 lakh patients in a year.
The hospital, which is built in a remote village in Vazhakkad, was designed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and students of the School of Architecture and Planning of Thrissur Engineering College. The technology used in the hospital’s construction is Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum panel, also known as Rapidwall, which can withstand natural calamities easily, said people at VPS Health Care.
“It has all modern facilities. Experts from many fields rubbed shoulders with local people to set up such an initiative,” said VPS Health Care chairman Shamseer Vayalil. The hospital has an advanced laboratory, modern imaging department, oxygen beds, concentrators and stabilization unit to attend to those suffering from oxygen saturation, said the group in a statement.
What makes it different is that it is being made of eco-friendly technology eliminating the usual brick and cement structure with an aesthetically pleasing design, the statement added.
Three years ago, floods ravaged many parts of Kerala claiming 500 lives, it was often dubbed as the flood of the century. After the disaster, the government showcased an initiative called ‘Rebuild Kerala,’ to piece together the state’s damaged infrastructure and livelihood.
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