Cuban-model healthcare to be extended to Kannur

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Cuban-model healthcare is coming to the  Marxist heartland, Kannur. After successfully implementing it at Vattiyoorkavu here, the Health Department has now decided to extend the much-acclaimed Cuban-model healthcare to two hospitals in Kannur. An expert team has already made a visit to Kannur to conduct a feasibility study for implementing this concept in the Community Health Centres of Pazhayangadi and Pinarayi. A decision has been taken in this regard and it is expected to be launched by the last week of August.  The Cuban-model envisages a family-doctor-nurse concept promoting community-based primary care.

For this, primarily a house-hold survey will be conducted in the panchayat where the hospital has been selected for setting up the Cuban-model clinic. The survey will be conducted to collect the data regarding the health condition of each and every individual from each household in that panchayat and a clinical registry will be formed.

 In Kannur, it is being planned to set up two polyclinics in the CHCs of Pinarayi and Pazhayangadi where the specialist service will be made available. A fixed schedule will be prepared in such a way that each day will be allotted to a specialist. The specialists from nearby hospitals will be deputed to offer their services for a day in these polyclinics. Specialist services such as ENT, gynaecology, cardiology, ophthalmology and paediatrics among others will be offered from Monday to Saturday in these polyclinics.  For the polyclinic to be set up at Pazhayangadi, specialist doctors from Pariyaram and Payyannur hospitals will offer their services. In the polyclinic at Pinarayi, the specialists from the Thalassery District Hospital will be deputed for consultation. Only outpatient facility will be available in these clinics and the idea is to bring down the specialist health care to the doorstep.

 Apart from the facility for patient care, the clinics will have well-equipped laboratories with facilities including ECG, a pharmacy and resting rooms for doctors and nurses.