THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, OCTOBER 28, 2004
IANS
US-based NRI community hailing from Kerala will provide free
medical treatment worth Rs 250 million to selected patients through
some private hospitals in the state.
This is the second year in succession that the community is providing
medical assistance to patients in the state, said Jiji Thompson,
secretary in the department assisting the state's NRIs, here on
Thursday.
"Seven hundred patients have registered for
free plastic surgery for ailments to lips and corrective face
surgery. Another 400 have registered for urological surgery,"
said Thompson.
The assistance programme to be inaugurated by Chief
Minister Oommen Chandy will be provided through several private
hospitals in southern Kerala from November 6 to 12.
The programme would be extended to hospitals in
northern Kerala next year.
Last year, 116 plastic surgeries were done under
the programme. A 12-year-old girl was also taken to Houston, US,
and treated with a limp replacement surgery under the programme.
Thompson said that apart from medicines, several
pieces of brand new equipment would be provided to the hospitals
under the programme.
