Pay hike for medical faculty soon

P.K. Sreemathy says a project is being drawn up to make life-saving drugs available at affordable prices.
Thrissur: Health Minister P. K. Sreemathy has said that the faculty in government medical colleges will get a substantial increase in salary with special allowances soon.
Addressing a function at the Government Medical College Hospital, Thrissur, on Saturday, she said that doctors should be well taken care of to ensure better patient care. “A declaration in this regard will be made within a few days. The salaries of the doctors in medical colleges have not been revised in the past 13 years,” she said.
Research activities, she said, would get priority in the proposed Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences.
She said the State government was preparing a project to make life-saving drugs available at affordable prices. The Minister said meetings of drug manufacturers, health officials and agencies, such as the Neethi and Maveli stores, which sold medicines at subsidised rates, would be convened in Kochi soon to chalk out the project.
“The cost of life-saving drugs is beyond the common man’s reach. Medicines are being distributed at lower rates through the medical corporation,” she said.
New MRI scan centre She inaugurated a Rs.7-crore MRI scan centre, Hindlabs, set up by HLL Lifecare Ltd. as part of a memorandum of understanding signed between the company and the State government. The centre would provide MRI scans at an affordable rate, the Minister said. “This is an Onam gift for the people of Thrissur. While private agencies charge around Rs.7,000 for a scan, Hindlabs will charge only Rs.3,500. And, 10 per cent of the poor will get the facility totally free.”
During the trial run, 150 patients had availed themselves of the facility. HLL Lifecare Ltd. would set up two more scan centres in the government medical colleges at Alappuzha and Kottayam by the end of the year. With this, all five government medical colleges in the State would have MRI scan facility.
Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran said the government was considering construction of a Rs.12-crore indoor stadium at the proposed Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences.