Mounting number of deaths from various kinds of fever with the onset of monsoon in the state put the government in the dock in the Assembly on Tuesday, with the Opposition alleging total apathy in dealing with the grave situation and demanding the resignation of Health Minister V S Sivakumar on this score.
With the government not willing to go in for a discussion and grant permission to present an adjournment motion moved by Elamaram Kareem (CPM), the Opposition members staged a walkout. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s assurance that vacant posts, if any, in government hospitals will be filled up on Tuesday itself and a high-level meet will also be held in the evening to chalk out measures didn’t satisfy the Opposition benches. Leading out the LDF members, Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan took a potshot at the Treasury benches stating that only if all the ministers are rounded up and caned severely, the fever issue will be addressed properly.
“The ruling front has only time to settle the rift in the Congress. A KPCC president was never insulted like this. Instead of addressing the fever issue properly, everyone went after the KPCC president’s jatha,’’ he said. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy retorted asking whether the Opposition is willing to give a retrospective effect to Achuthanandan’s proposal to take upon ministers. When Achuthanandan asked the government to grant compensation for fever victims, Chandy said that there was no such precedent.
“If the former LDF Govt had granted it, then definitely it could be granted now,’’ he said, countering Opposition charges. Amid the uproar, Health Minister V S Sivakumar admitted that 140 persons have died in the state from fever this year in the state and nearly 10 lakh have been afflicted with various types of fever. The stand of the minister that everything is under control and the sanctioned strength of staff up to the primary health centre level in all government health institutions has been filled failed to satisfy Opposition benches.
“Apart from filling up the entire sanctioned strength of doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and lab technicians, on the basis of the prevailing situation, doctors and other staff have been appointed wherever necessary on contract basis also under the NRHM scheme,’’ the minister said. Seeking permission to move the adjournment motion, Elamaram Kareem blamed the government for not taking up the pre-monsoon cleanliness drive effectively.
“The accumulation of garbage in the capital city itself is an example. The Corporation was not given adequate support to remove garbage and dispose it. The Vilappilsala plant is lying closed and the government had turned a blind eye on it. The promise of upgrading a virology centre at Alappuzha into a full-fledged institute is yet to be fulfilled,’’ he alleged. He demanded that the assistance of the Centre and the Army should be sought to tide over the situation. ‘’At present, there is no protocol or guidelines for treatment of fever-afflicted patients. Adequate medicine stocks are not available. Not to mention adequate lab facilities, which are forcing patients to depend on private labs and pay hefty amounts,’’ he blamed. Opposition deputy leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that the financial allocation for ward level sanitation measures is yet to come. Thomas Isaac also raised the point of tardy fund transfers, but Minister Manjalamkuzhy Ali said that allocation through the Suchitwa Mission has been done but it is upto the local bodies to collect it and utilise properly. Sivakumar rejected the charges of the Oppn and asserted that there may be isolated cases of vacant posts in hospitals but generally it was not so.