Kozhikode, Friday 31 July 2009: Twelve private hospitals have agreed to open free clinics to help combat the fever outbreak that has gripped the district for over two months.

The management of the hospitals agreed to the State government’s request for help at a meeting convened by Industries Minister Elamaram Karim at the district Collectorate.

The Minister said that the Cabinet had agreed to sanction Rs.3 crore immediately to help speed up medical and source destruction activities.
The Cabinet also backed Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy’s decision, at a review meeting on Tuesday, to provide one month’s free ration to the households affected by fever.

These private hospitals will open fever clinics on the hospital premises from August 1 that will function for two weeks. Free consultation and medicines will be provided to all patients.

Karim said he would urge the managements to increase the duration of out-patient consultation time.

District Collector P.B. Salim said source destruction activities were progressing in all panchayat wards under a four-member team consisting of a junior health inspector, junior public health nurse, accredited social health activist (ASHA) and an anganwadi worker.

Karim said that 50 resident doctors from Kozhikode Medical College had been attached to the mobile medical units that started functioning since Wednesday under the direct supervision of a control room established at the Collectorate.
The Minister distributed mosquito nets to fever affected persons in the district