Health Minister K. Muraleedharan on Saturday (August 22, 2026) announced that speciality care services will be made available round-the-clock in the Keralam’s district and general hospitals.

He added that this will be implemented within six months, and that the government’s goal is to ensure quality healthcare services are available without interruption.

Responding to the announcement, Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association ( KGMOA) however pointed out that while the goal of ensuring better, more decentralised specialist treatment facilities for the public is certainly welcome, implementing this decision without accounting for the steadily rising workload at government hospitals and the existing constraints on human resources is totally unacceptable

The statement issued by Mr. Muraleedharan said that in the first phase, speciality services will be assured at one hospital in every district, to be scaled up in phases. The specialties being guaranteed include General Medicine, General Surgery, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, and Gynaecology. He claimed that provision of round-the-clock services at secondary care hospitals will help reduce the overcrowding which is now overwhelming medical colleges.

Shinu K.S, Additional Director (Administration and Training), has been appointed Special Officer to oversee this initiative. He will assess the current facilities at hospitals across the State and coordinate the necessary arrangements in each hospital so that 24-hour speciality services become a reality

Mr. Muraleedharan said that the human resources in hospitals, including medical, nursing, and paramedical staff, will be assessed and deployed as needed. A nodal officer will coordinate with officials to implement the project promptly and report progress.

Chellenges

KGMOA pointed out that round-the-clock service provision has its own challenges and that a proper stay-duty system is essential to ensure genuine 24×7 service

It pointed out that there is a clear government order in force which states that a medical officer’s working hours must not exceed 12 hours within a 24-hour period. The government must be prepared to create and fill the new speciality posts needed to arrange the required shifts, KGMOA said.

KGMOA said that it will take up the issue with the government in the coming days to convey its concerns. It said that it will work with the government for a proper solution to make 24-hour service provision possible.