Governance of Healthcare Cooperatives with Reference to the Case of Thrikkakara Healthcare Cooperative

Abstract

Providing public healthcare to people is a major challenge for governments. In this sector, public-funded systems are grossly inadequate in India, and excessive commercialization and exploitation by the private sector are a stark reality. The cooperative healthcare model is emerging as an alternate system in Kerala with its strong service objective to challenge the woes of private healthcare. The cooperative hospitals in the state worked round the clock to serve the poor and needy during the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has also badly exposed the weakness of our healthcare system in the wake of challenges posed by an increase in demand for health services, especially in rural areas. The resultant rise in the cost of treatment has put severe strains on the people at a time when even their day to day jobs were in peril. India has a strong cooperative movement and world-class institutions to serve as models in each sector. The Thrikkakara Municipal Co-operative Hospital, located at Cochin in the Kerala State of India on which this case study is written was established by the Hospital Society Ltd. in 1999, as a project under the People’s Planning Programme of the Government. Today, it has grown into a medium-sized healthcare establishment with the prime objective ‘Modern healthcare to all at affordable costs’ and cater to an average of 700 outpatients a day. This case study reveals the inception, development over years, facilities available, operations, management, public interface, and outlook for the hospital to become a modern healthcare institution to serve the people still better.

Citation

Sukumaran Nair, M.P. (2023), "Governance of Healthcare Cooperatives with Reference to the Case of Thrikkakara Healthcare Cooperative", Tripathy, K.K., Kumari, S., Venkatesh, V.G., Jayalakshmi, R. and Sukumaran Nair, M.P. (Ed.) World Healthcare Cooperatives: Challenges and Opportunities, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 75-91. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80455-774-720231004