The Kerala government on Friday announced the removal of the income limit as a criterion for accessing pay ward facilities in government hospitals. The decision is aimed at making treatment in government hospitals more people-friendly while ensuring equitable access to pay ward facilities.

Until now, pay wards under the Kerala Health Research and Welfare Society (KHRWS) in government hospitals could be availed only if the income mentioned in the patient's outpatient (OP) ticket exceeded ₹1,600.

The government said the move would eliminate the hurdles faced by low-income patients due to inaccurate income details recorded in OP tickets, which often prevented them from accessing pay wards.

In many cases, those accompanying patients to emergency departments provide incorrect or incomplete income details while obtaining OP tickets in a hurry. It is only later, when they attempt to book a pay ward, that the income criterion becomes an obstacle.

Correcting the error is also a cumbersome process, where patients are required to submit a request to the hospital superintendent, obtain approval from the hospital's Lay Secretary, and then approach the Medical Records Department to have the income details corrected. The new decision eliminates the need for this lengthy procedure.

Health Minister K Muralidharan said the decision addresses a long-standing issue that has caused inconvenience to the public. He added that the Principal Secretary of the Health Department has been directed to issue the necessary order to implement the decision.