‘Seethalayam’ to be wound up

The Hindu Ayushman project to execute lifestyle disease control programmes for women, would also be wound up. File photo: S.R. Raghunathan

Official order has been issued by the Directorate of Health

The Health Department has decided to wind up ‘Seethalayam’, a pilot project launched across the State  in Kerela ,to take care of women’s health and infertility problems.

An official order in this regard was issued by the Directorate of Health on Wednesday.

Sources said the project was wound up following financial burdens on the government. All doctors assigned to take care of the project in district Homeopathic hospitals would be called back shortly.

Similarly, the Ayushman project introduced along with Seethalayam to execute lifestyle disease control programmes, too, would be wound up.

Though the project was formally withdrawn, the district-level hospital monitoring committees would be allowed to resume it in their own way by mobilising funds. But there would not be any direct funding from the government.

In some districts, the projects would be continued as such as some of the local bodies have come forward to support it.

‘Seethalayam’ which was launched in the district nearly two years ago, had aided many women in the district to address their mental and physical health problems. It had also extended help in treatment of infertility problems.

As per official figures, no fewer than any 18 kids were born through the infertility treatment programmes undertaken through the clinic.

Main advantage

The main advantage of the scheme was that it could largely address the mental issues of women through counselling, treatment, and other legal advices.

The service of two doctors and a clinical psychologist were made available at the centre to care for the patients. Middle-aged women and teenagers were most benefitted under the scheme.

According to officials, the State government had sanctioned Rs.48 lakh to pilot the scheme in Kozhikode, Kottayam, and Thiruvananthapuram districts in the first phase. In the beginning phase, there were also plans to rehabilitate the women in need of care. But now, with the facility being wound up, there would not be any scope to realise the plans.