The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is planning to hold a protest meeting outside the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Kozhikode, on Tuesday alleging that the State government is destroying the public health institution to help the “private hospital lobby”.
Addressing the media here on Monday, IUML district president M.A. Razak and general secretary T.T. Ismail claimed that corruption was rampant there. Along with patients and their caregivers, the hospital staff also were affected by the crisis plaguing the hospital, they said. Back-to-back fire outbreaks, shortage of doctors and nurses, and scarcity of drugs were some of the major issues. They demanded that the government take immediate steps to address the problems.
Mr. Razak and Mr. Ismail alleged that there had been two fire outbreaks at the block housing the casualty section that had been constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) using ₹195 crore of Central funds. There had been lapses in the construction of the building. The investigation into these incidents, however, was an attempt to deceive the people, they alleged.
They pointed out that thousands of patients were awaiting their turn for the schedule of surgeries because of a shortage of doctors in the Department of Anaesthesia. This was a result of the transfer of a number of doctors to other medical college hospitals for the National Medical Commission’s inspection. There was a shortage of doctors in the Department of Dermatology and Forensic Medicine as well, and post-mortem examinations were being delayed. P.M.A. Salam, State general secretary, IUML, would open the protest meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, they added.
Meanwhile, District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh is reported to have held a meeting with the hospital authorities on Monday. According to sources, there is no final word yet on reopening the PMSSY block, which was temporarily closed in May after the fire outbreaks.
Published – July 14, 2025 09:02 pm IST