THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister K K Shylaja has made it clear that the government would not stop any of the health schemes.
She said the government has given due importance to all social security programmes aimed at the welfare of the people. Meanwhile, she also came out against the hunger strike called by former health minister V S Sivakumar to protest the government’s move to wind up health schemes. “The hunger strike was only politically motivated and misleading.”
Noting that the Left government had cleared the accumulated dues to various welfare schemes, Shylaja said `800 crore was pending for various health schemes. An amount of `391 crore was due to be given to the Karunya Fund, she said, and added the former minister was holding a hunger strike only to hide all these facts.
After the government came to power, she said that five Karunya pharmacies were started. The government has also started 44 dialysis units and cath labs in 10 hospitals. As part of the cancer care programme, 244 patients were given free treatment and funds were also given for continuous treatment for 5,059 patients. An amount of `105 lakh has been allotted for this, she said.
She said 245 patients were given free treatment as per Thalolam programme and 12,465 patients given continuous treatment. An amount of `150 lakh has been spent till now for it.
Shylaja said the Aswasa Kiranam programme that was stalled during the last government was reinstated. As many as 8,200 new persons were added in the scheme. An amount of `2.83 crore has been sanctioned for this. For Snehasparsham, an amount of `211 lakh has been allotted for this. As part of Sruthitharangam project, cochlear implantation was done in 35 children utilising `197.23 lakh, she said.
Apart from this, the government has allotted funds for Samaswaswam projects and also for giving assistance to endosulfan victims.