Addressing delegates at the ongoing Global Healthcare Summit here, Sivakumar said the government was taking several steps to strengthen its role in ensuring the welfare of the society.
The free generic drug programme would be extended to all government hospitals and the free dialysis services will be launched in all district hospitals this year itself, he said.
"Women and Child Hospital in Trivandrum was the first Government hospital in the country to get National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare providers (NABH) accreditation. Likewise, the Taluk hospital at Cherthala became the first taluk hospital in the country to get the accreditation while Ernakulam General Hospital became the first in the category," he said.
Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs K V Thomas called upon the foreign delegates to go around the city which has become a major centre of healthcare facilities and become the ambassadors of Kerala on their return.
"We started health tourism and it does not mean just Ayurveda alone. We have best modern healthcare facilities and there was good response to our initiative of health tourism over the years," he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Overseas Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi hoped that the summit would come out with valuable suggestions to improve healthcare in the country.