THE Kerala Government proposes to start a pilot tele-medicine project in the State as part of its efforts to utilise the immense possibilities of information technology in healthcare and education areas.

Replying to a calling attention motion in the State Assembly on Wednesday, the Health Minister, Mr P. Sankaran, said that the project would be a collective venture of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, Sri Chitra Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Regional Cancer Centre and Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Kerala (IIITM-K).

The Government would shortly submit a proposal in this regard to the Centre, the Minister said.

Under the project, the Medical College will function as a tele referral centre and a few public health centres in the district as remote tele consultation centres.

The project is expected to cost Rs 58 lakh.

The Minister said that the tele-medicine practice had already been implemented in States such as Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat and at Apollo Hospitals.

It is expected to be successfully introduced in Kerala considering its size and the progress it has achieved in the area of healthcare.

As a first step towards realising the goal, the healthcare and education areas need to be modernised by extensive application of information technology.

For this purpose, the Health Services Directorate would be converted into a Planning and Monitoring Cell.

Besides, for creating the necessary infrastructure, the Government has earmarked Rs 40 lakh in the current year, the Minister said.

The Electricity Minister, Mr Kadavoor Sivadasan, said that the Kerala State Electricity Board would reduce the power tariff of fishermen using Chinese net from Rs 7.25 to Rs 2.75 per unit.

In reply to a submission, the Minister said that such fishermen would be brought under Category Four from the current Seven-A category.

Replying to a question, the Minister for Welfare of Backward and Scheduled Communities, said that a centre of excellence for encouraging SC/ST students for higher studies and research would be established at the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode.

He added that preliminary work of the centre had started and admission of students would commence soon.

Of the Rs 5 crore earmarked for the centre, Rs 75 lakh had already been allocated, he informed the House.