Multi Super Specialty Hospitals mushrooming in Kochi, is a sign of healthy society?

Kerala not being an industrial state and primarily being an agrarian society, whenever we have a discussion about visible development, the first thing, perhaps, we point out is the number of multi super specialty hospitals that we have in Kochi, which is better known as the business capital of Kerala.  The multi super specialty hospitals are mushrooming in Kochi like never before. To name the major ones in Kochi are Lakeshore Hospital, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Aster Medcity, Lisie Hospital, Lourdes Hospital, Medical Trust Hospital, Ernakulam Medical Centre, Apollo hospital and the last one added to the long list of multi super specialty hospitals in Kochi is Rajagiri Hospital.

Having stated all these figures and factual representation of truth, now the question posed in front of us is that whether the multi super specialty hospitals mushrooming in Kochi is truly a sign of healthy society? Well, if all these hospitals still have good number of customers (patients) and having a good business turnover, not even a single multi super specialty hospital is running in loss, which means it is not a bad business to invest in. No wonder increasingly multi super specialty hospitals are mushrooming in Kochi. The whole scenario is pointing out to a catastrophic condition. Instead of being a healthy society, Kerala is becoming a hub of diseases and patients at an alarming speed.

If people call Kerala a hub of multi super specialty hospitals and place for advanced medication as well as treatment, subliminally the state is represented as a hub of diseases and patients.  As per the syllogism, where there are diseases and patients, there is maximum number of  hospitals.  

There could be another argument popping up, having the maximum number of multi super specialty hospitals does not necessarily mean that Kerala is a hub of diseases and patients. It is for tourism promotion, even in the state tourism policy, Kerala is portrayed as a health tourism destination. Medical tourism is like any leisure product where apart from tour package, one gets medical treatment at the best hospitals. However, it should be noted that tourists increasingly go for ayurvedic treatments not for allopathic treatments, which is accessible the multi super specialty hospitals mushrooming.

When Prof. KV Thomas was boastingly talking about the number of the multi super specialty hospitals and medical facilities that are available here in Kerala in a meeting held at Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, gave a tit for tat on Prof. KV Thomas’ remark, saying that in our villages, hardly there are any hospitals or clinics and people have to travel kilometers to finally reach a hospital. (It’s an incident that occurred years back, so not sure about the designation of Maneka Sanjay Gandhi then – the incident is purely quoted to take the message home).

To conclude, having the number of multi super specialty hospitals does not mean that the society is healthy nor it can be seen as a sign of visible development. This simply means that the particular society is becoming a hub of diseases and patients at an alarming speed.

Photo Courtesy: Google Image