Thu Nov 21 20:27:58 UTC 2024: ## Kozhikode Medical College Considers Nominal OP Consultation Fee
**Kozhikode, Kerala, November 22, 2024** – The Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode is considering imposing a small fee for outpatient (OP) consultations. A proposal to charge a nominal fee, initially suggested at ₹20, was discussed at a meeting of youth organizations on Thursday. While the Indian Youth Congress and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha expressed opposition, a revised suggestion of ₹10 was also debated. The final decision will rest with the hospital development society (HDS), chaired by the District Collector, in a meeting expected before the month’s end.
Hospital sources clarified that the proposed fee would not be used for temporary employee salaries, but rather for immediate equipment repairs and to assist needy patients with medication costs. The hospital sees approximately 3,000 outpatients daily.
This move follows a similar proposal at Thiruvananthapuram’s Government Medical College Hospital, where a ₹10 fee is being considered for OP referrals, pending government approval. In Thiruvananthapuram, patients below the poverty line will remain exempt.
First Piper 