Kerala mandates SC/ST, women representation in hospital societies

The Kerala government in India decided that groups that help run government hospitals must now include people from certain communities.

These communities are called Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The hospital groups must also include women.

This is the first time such a rule has been made.

A health leader named K Muraleedharan announced the new rule on Thursday.

It applies to all government hospitals, from small family health centres to big medical colleges.

The District Collector will still be the leader of each hospital group, and the hospital superintendent will help.

Other leaders, like members of parliament and local politicians, will also be part of the groups.

The government says this will make hospitals better and friendlier for patients.

It wants everyone to have a say in how hospitals are run.