Citizens in Kasaragod district in Kerala are up in arms against the State Government for its indifference to the Exclusive Covid Hospital built by the Tata Group as part of their commitment to the people.
“The 541-bedded hospital was built at a cost of Rs 60 crore by the Tatas in just 150 days. The Tatas handed over the fully furnished hospital building to the Kerala Government on September 9. But till date the State administration has not appointed even a single doctor or para-medic staff to the hospital though the district is seeking a surge in the number of Covid-19 patients,” Sukumaran Periyachoor, Kerala State Secretary of Saparya Cultural Society, said in a release on Wednesday.
Sukumaran, former principal of Government Higher Secondary School and an environmental activist of repute said the district has no other Covid treatment centre other than the Government Medical College, the works of which were yet to be completed. “We are dependant on neighbouring Mangalore district of Karnataka as the district was facing severe shortage of medical staff. More than 60 doctors and 130 para-medics could work in the spacious hospital built by the Tatas. Had the State Government launched the operations on September 9 itself. Kerala would have got more such hospitals,” said Sukumaran.