Government Medical College Hospitals (MCHs) are being pushed to the limit due to huge inflow of patients from the periphery and also because many patients are referred to MCHs from private hospitals as top quality care in these hospitals is unaffordable for most, said Health Minister Veena George.
Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of an event organized in connection with Children’s Day here, Mrs. George said government MCHs are taking a lot of flak because these institutions receive more patients than they can accommodate.
As tertiary care institutions, MCHs cannot refuse care to people due to a lack of beds or facilities. MCH’s attempts to alleviate this situation by expanding facilities and decentralizing care have not been successful because of the large influx of people seeking tertiary care, she said.
Although a new 100-bed ICU has been set up at Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital, people are still on the waiting list for ICU/ventilator facilities.
Ms George said MCHs were also overwhelmed with destitute people who stayed in the wards because they had nowhere else to go. Steps will be taken to shift as many as 77 abandoned in Thiruvananthapuram MCH to suitable shelters with the help of social justice department, she said.
The health minister also said that the new referral protocol will be strictly implemented so that no one in the periphery can refer patients to tertiary care hospitals without first ensuring that the MCHs have adequate facilities such as bed, ICU, ventilator that may be required for the referred patient. Private hospitals can also no longer discharge patients to MCH without first checking that MCH can accommodate them.
Ms George added that 202 new posts in various specialties have been created in hospitals under the Directorate of Health Services and that peripheral hospitals are expected to provide care to as many people as possible instead of blindly referring them to MCH.
Published – 14 Nov 2025 20:11 IST
