Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullapally Ramachandran has opened the State’s 4th Lifecare Centre at the Vadakara District Hospital. This is the first one in the Malabar region.

The Lifecare Centre, a joint venture of the Central public sector unit HLL Lifecare Ltd and the State Government, provides high-quality surgical equipment, surgical implants, glasses, lenses, frames and related medicines at reasonable prices under one roof.

Surgical implants and other medical products available at the centres at discounts ranging from 10 to 60 per cent. In addition to subsidised services for the needy, the centre will also provide cashless services to RSBY card holders.

As of now, there are three such facilities in Kerala and one in Odisha.

The Lifecare Centre at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College that started functioning in October 2011 was the first in this chain. The other two Lifecare centres are at the Pathanamthitta General Hospital and the Thiruvananthapuram Regional Institute of Ophthalmology.

In view of private agencies charging different rates at different hospitals for surgical and ophthalmic equipment, the Lifecare Centre will help address the uncertainties and lack of proper systems in this sector.

Through the Lifecare Centres, HLL aims to ensure standardisation and transparency in the marketing of these products and deliver them to the common man at reasonable prices.

The State Government has given its approval for opening Lifecare Centres at four other Government Medical Colleges in Kerala and at district and taluk hospitals.

>sajeevkumar.v@thehindu.co.in

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