Proposal to upgrade ESIC Super Specialty Hospital at Asramam as medical college

MP says Chief Minister and Ministers have promised all support for the move

The Chief Minister has promised all assistance for the proposal to upgrade the ESIC Super Specialty Hospital at Asramam here as medical college, N.K. Premachandran, MP, has said.

He had met the Chief Minister to seek the cooperation and assistance of the State government in the matter while detailed petitions were also submitted to Ministers V. Sivankutty, K.N. Balagopal and Veena George and Chief Secretary Sharada Muraleedharan. “In the meeting, the Ministers and the Chief Secretary took a favourable stand,” said the MP.

In the 194th meeting of the ESI Corporation, the MP had raised the demand that Kollam Ashram ESIC Model and Super Specialty Hospital be upgraded as medical college. Reportedly, he has approached the State government after receiving a positive response to the proposal from Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

Earlier, when the ESIC had completed all the infrastructure development at Paripally to start a new medical college, the Union government changed its policy and completely withdrew from the project. It was decided to hand over the completed colleges to private parties, but later the State government was asked if it was willing for such a transfer. This led to the State government taking over the facility which is now functioning as Government Medical College, Kollam.

”Kollam Medical College, which is operating under the State government, provides medical services to thousands of patients, including those from underprivileged categories who do not have insurance coverage. Labourers with insurance coverage do not get special treatment in the medical college. The demand for a new medical college was strongly raised as the government medical could not be given back to the ESI Corporation,” said Mr. Premachandran.

According to the MP, the new medical college can be started by combining the land of the ESIC Hospital with the land of Parvathi Mill in Kollam owned by the National Textile Corporation (NTC). He added that the support of the State government is also needed to procure the the land of Parvathi Mills.

Published - October 24, 2024 07:22 pm IST