inister for Health and Family Welfare P.K. Sreemathy left for a tour of the U.S. and England on Monday even as the Opposition in the Assembly is gearing up to put her in the dock for failure to control contagious diseases in the State.
The Minister will hold discussions with experts in America on introducing stem cell treatment for cancer care at the Malabar Cancer Hospital, Thalassery, and on enlisting the support of the World India Diabetes Foundation and Mayo Clinic for the development of the Indian Institute of Diabetes here. She would also attend the conference of the Federation of Kerala Associations in North America (FOKANA) on July 4.
The Indian Institute of Diabetes was set up here under the auspices of the World India Diabetes Foundation and Mayo Clinic. The State government provided 18 acres for the institute. Though foreign assistance of Rs. 50 lakh was received initially, further development had been stalled. The present government had converted it into a nodal centre for non-contagious diseases. On an invitation from the Foundation, the Minister will discuss the possibility of further assistance from the Foundation and Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The Minister is also slated to meet representatives of the American Cancer Society and the Indo-American Cancer Association in New York for talks, an official release said.
On her way back, she will hold discussions with the representatives of the Royal College of Physicians and The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in England. She will return to the State on July 11 via Dubai. Secretary (Medical Education) Usha Titus and Director of Indian Institute of Diabetes Meenu Hariharan are accompanying the Minister.
The Opposition is critical of the Minister undertaking the journey at a time when over 10,000 people (new and old cases) are seeking treatment at government hospitals every day for various types of fever. More than 10 deaths are being reported every day from various parts of the State. Spread of Dengue fever, leptospirosis and various types of influenza has become an annual feature during the monsoon in the State. This, the Opposition alleged, was due to failure on the part of the government to take timely precautionary measures and advise doctors on treatment protocols. (Nine pregnant women died of H1N1 around the time of the onset of the monsoon this year because they did not get timely treatment at private hospitals.)
The number of people coming to hospitals with various types of fever has increased over the past week. According to official figures, 14,636 persons sought treatment on Monday. These included 11 confirmed cases of dengue fever and two cases of leptospirosis. The incidence of Malaria is also going up in the State with seven cases reported on Monday.
The Youth Congress staged a demonstration and burnt the effigy of the Health Minister in protest against her eschewing responsibility for spread of the diseases and undertaking a foreign trip. It said the Minister was blaming the media for reporting the deaths and spread of the diseases to hide her culpability.
Inaugurating the demonstration, Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee general secretary Manacaud Suresh said the Minister and the government had neglected their responsibility. He said government hospitals faced shortage of doctors and other staff and medicines. Manacaud Mandalam president C. Ramachandran Nair presided.
