THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition LDF staged a walkout from the Assembly on Tuesday, alleging that the state’s health sector was in crisis under the four-month-long UDF government's rule. Seeking to raise the issue through an adjournment motion, the LDF cited shortages of medicines, deaths allegedly caused by medical negligence, and the arbitrary dismissal of health staff as evidence of the crisis.
CPM MLA K V Sumesh, who gave notice for the adjournment motion, said the health sector was “on a ventilator” and accused Health Minister K Muraleedharan of adopting a “dismissive attitude” towards the issue. He also alleged that even medicines for lifestyle diseases were unavailable in government hospitals.
Muraleedharan launched a sharp counterattack, asserting that hospitals had adequate medicine stocks, except for the medicine needed to cure the uneasiness of the LDF, which had lost power. The remark triggered brief protests from the Opposition benches.
The minister attributed the shortage to the failure of the previous LDF government to undertake the procurement usually carried out in March, citing the Model Code of Conduct in force for the elections. On the death of a woman in Kozhikode following post-operative complications, Muraleedharan said an expert committee would submit its report on the incident within a week.
He also rejected the allegation that a large number of health staff had been dismissed. However, he acknowledged that the contracts of some National Health Mission employees had not been renewed following a performance audit conducted by the mission. The minister attributed the rise in fever cases to the growing reliance on government hospitals.
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, who led the LDF walkout after the adjournment motion was disallowed, alleged that a “secret agenda” could be behind the medicine shortage. He expressed suspicion that the shortage could be used to justify procurement deals aimed at securing commissions. "Is there a deal? That should be examined,” Vijayan demanded.
The Opposition leader also criticised the government for allegedly sacking a large number of health staff arbitrarily. He said the move had aggravated staff shortages, placing immense pressure on the remaining personnel and contributing to incidents of medical negligence.
