The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has rallied behind embattled Health Minister Veena George, who had come under severe criticism from the Opposition and the social media in the aftermath of the workplace murder of house surgeon Vandana Das at the Kottarakara taluk hospital early this week.
CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan took strong exception to veteran Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan’s (MLA) alleged statement that Ms. George faked grief at Vandana’s funeral at her house in Kottayam.
‘Don’t politicise tragedy’
He said the Congress’s accusation that Ms. George applied glycerine to her eyes to prompt tears for television cameras betrayed the Opposition’s concerted bid to besmirch the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. Earlier, Mr. Govindan called on Vandana’s parents at their house in Kottayam. SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan, who visited the bereaved family, requested parties not to politicise the tragedy.
Earlier, Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders had accused Ms. George of wounding Kerala’s psyche by stating that the young house surgeon’s “inexperience and panic” had somehow hamstrung Vandana from dodging her attacker.
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, MLA, said Ms George should abandon melodrama and address the Health department’s pressing issues. He said former Health Minister V. S. Sivakumar or Ms. George’s predecessor K.K. Shylaja would not have made such an “insensitive remark”.
The State government could not absolve itself of the responsibility for Vandana’s death. He said the staff shortage, paucity of equipment and slack security plagued government hospitals across the State. The lives of health professionals working late shifts at rural hospitals were particularly at risk.
Doctor-patient ratio
He said the ratio of doctors to patients in Kerala could be better. “Currently, an estimated 5,000 doctors handle nearly two crore patients. A nurse caters to at least 150 in-patients,” Mr. Chennithala said. House surgeons and PG students handled the immense work burden in emergency rooms. Most worked 48 and 74-hour shifts for a paltry stipend. The government was least concerned about their security and welfare. Since 2021, hospitals in Kerala have reported 148 attacks on health professionals, he said.
