Thiruvananthapuram
pti-PTI
Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan on Sunday said the state’s healthcare system is fully prepared to deal with any problems arising from heavy rainfall. He said directions have been issued to deploy teams of health professionals to all relief camps to care for people who have been shifted there.
Kerala Health Minister Muraleedharan confirmed the state’s health system is prepared for heavy rains, deploying teams to relief camps and stocking medicines, while inspections continue for the AIIMS site in Vaikom. He also addressed official helicopter use and an investigation into a BJP councillor’s leave.
Speaking to reporters, Muraleedharan said essential medicines have already been stocked, and health authorities in disaster-prone areas have been instructed to remain on high alert. He added that the Health Department is closely monitoring the evolving rain situation across the state.
On the proposed All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kerala, the minister said health officials recently inspected Vaikom, one of the shortlisted locations for the project. He added that other proposed sites would also be visited before a final decision is taken.
“It will be the Centre which finally decides at which location the AIIMS will be set up,” he said.
Responding to questions about Chief Minister V D Satheesan’s recent helicopter travel, which has drawn criticism from the Left, Muraleedharan defended the use of helicopters for official duties.
He said his father, former Chief Minister K Karunakaran, had travelled by helicopter more than anyone else and noted that helicopters are used during emergencies to reach destinations much faster than travelling by road or rail.
“We have not criticised the use of helicopter by Pinarayi Vijayan,” he added.
When asked about a purported communication issued by the Home Department regarding the grant of leave to BJP councillor R Sugathan, Muraleedharan said Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered an investigation into the matter.
According to the minister, the communication was issued without the Home Minister’s knowledge.
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday criticised the government’s decision to grant six months’ leave to jailed councillor Sugathan, calling the Home Department’s circular on the issue “strange”.
He alleged that the move was intended to protect the councillor and claimed it was part of a broader “deal” to safeguard the interests of the RSS and the BJP.
