The Hindu : Front Page : Pinarayi Vijayan alleges conspiracy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 06, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Pinarayi Vijayan alleges conspiracy

Staff Reporter

Controversy over death of infants at SAT Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram

Pinarayi Vijayan

PATHANAMTHITTA: Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan alleged here on Saturday that the controversy over the death of infants at Sree Avittom Tirunal Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram owing to hospital-acquired infection was part of a "conspiracy" aimed at discrediting the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government.

Mr. Vijayan was inaugurating the fifth State meet of the District Co-operative Bank Employees Federation, Kerala, in Pathanamthitta on Saturday.

The CPI(M) leader alleged that the "conspiracy" was to malign the public health care institutions in the State and destroy the public health sector at the behest of the private hospital "lobby."

He said: "The superintendent of SAT and a prominent office-bearer of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) were behind the controversy.," Mr. Vijayan alleged that the IMA office-bearer who had reached Thiruvananthapuram from Palakkad had "conspired with the SAT superintendent." He said, "a visual media too was part of this caucus."

"How can the Minister be made an accused in the infant death case?" asked Mr. Vijayan. He said the hospital superintendent who was responsible for the proper upkeep of the hospital had not been made an accused.

He said SAT had gained national attention for the large number of deliveries on a daily basis. Hence, any shortage at the public health care centre should be considered as a problem concerning the whole State and steps to rectify it should be taken collectively.

Regulation of visitors

The CPI(M) leader alleged that the hospital superintendent had failed to take up the problems with the higher authorities concerned and there was no point in blaming the Government or the Minister for the infant casualties.

He said strict regulation of visitors was an essential infection-control measure at any hospital, especially that for women and children. Ironically, Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy himself had conducted a press conference inside the hospital, Mr. Vijayan said.

He said that the previous UDF Government had destroyed the State's public health care sector by adopting a negative approach towards Government hospitals, right from primary health centres to medical college hospitals.

This left ample room for the private hospital "lobby" to strengthen itself during the five-year UDF rule.

Federation president N. Soman, presided. CPI(M) district secretary K.Ananthagopan welcomed the gathering. K. P. Mary, NGO Union State president, M. Krishnan, A. Siyauddin, K. Mohanraju, P. Sadasivan Pillai, leaders of various service organisations, also spoke.

The three-day State meet will come to a close on Monday.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page