In a fiery assembly session, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday rubbished UDF’s doomsday predictions about the state’s health services, proclaiming them baseless and politically motivated. Kerala, he declared, remains India’s gold standard in public healthcare, a fact proven time and again.
The opposition’s push for debate on a supposed health meltdown ignored the LDF’s sweeping upgrades since taking office. Vijayan detailed how the ‘Aardram Mission’ has modernized government hospitals, improved care quality, and fortified grassroots health delivery.
Kerala’s handling of COVID-19 was a masterclass in crisis management, with rapid infrastructure expansion saving countless lives. Yet, critics cherry-pick rare mishaps to paint a picture of chaos, Vijayan charged, eroding trust in a system admired worldwide.
‘We act swiftly on every shortfall,’ he assured, outlining continuous reforms that address gaps head-on. This came in riposte to V.D. Satheesan’s blistering attack, where he alleged crumbling services, understaffing, emergency voids, and unchecked medical errors.
Satheesan highlighted delays in treatment, subpar facilities at key hospitals, ignored UDF-era projects, and a probe system that rarely delivers justice. He warned of families flocking to costly private care due to public sector woes, calling the setup ‘ventilator-bound.’
The exchange lays bare Kerala’s polarized politics: opposition cries crisis, government flaunts achievements. With polls approaching, healthcare battles will escalate, testing voter sentiments on this vital front.