Health Minister Veena George has directed that the paediatric intensive care unit (ICU) at the Kottathara tribal specialty hospital at Attappady be readied by September 15.
She was addressing a joint meeting of the Health and the Women and Child Development departments here.
Administrative sanction had been given for ₹7.25 crore for the development of the Kottathara hospital so that it can be elevated to a modern mother and child hospital. Ms. George directed that the work be expedited.
Field-level work by anganwadi workers, Kudumbashree activists, tribal promoters and health workers should be strengthened so that the benefit of all government programmes for the tribal community would reach them.
Special attention should be paid to the health of pregnant women, and children.
Local foods
It was suggested at the meeting that the possibility of including local foods of the tribals in the nutrition programme be explored.
The Health Minister directed the District Medical Officer, Palakkad, to inquire into the complaint that patients from Kottathara were being referred unnecessarily to other hospitals.
