The Hindu      Kerala (Kozhikode)           01.09.2016

Kudumbasree to launch health-care centre for poor

The Kozhikode Corporation Kudumbasree will launch a healthcare centre for the poor.

The centre will be based on the old corporation office premises near the Kozhikode Beach where the Kudumbasree office is also located. The purpose of the centre is to provide medical support equipment such as wheel chairs, air beds, water beds, walking sticks, stretchers and commode chairs free of cost.

“The equipment we have collected are new. People can return them after use, especially the costly equipment such as aid bed,” said M.V. Ramsi Ismail, project coordinator (in-charge).

The beneficiaries of the centre will be patients from poor families whose annual income is below Rs.50,000. Those who need the services of the centre should approach it with a letter either by the ward councillor or the respective secretaries of Kudumbasree Area Development Societies.

The funds for the centre will be sourced from voluntary organisations. “Many organisations have volunteered to provide their utility funds to purchase equipment,” he said and added that their support was necessary to ensure public participation in the project.

Drug Bank

The Kudumbasree is also planning to revive its Drug Bank and attach it to the centre. “We are planning to focus on medicines for diseases such as cancer and renal failure. Other medicines will also be available,” he said.

There are also plans to revive the counselling centre which was launched a year ago. “Both Drug Bank and counselling centre will be fully operational in a month,” he added.