Youth Congress activists took out a march carrying a coffin to the district hospital here on the New Year’s day on Wednesday, in protest against the neglect towards the trauma care unit at the hospital.
The trauma care unit, although inaugurated by Minister for Health K.K. Shailaja over a year ago, has not started functioning yet.
Clash of egos between the hospital authorities and the Government Medical College doctors who work there is alleged to be the reason for the non-functioning of the unit.
Apology sought
Inaugurating the march, Youth Congress parliament committee president Boban Mattumantha demanded that Ms. Shailaja apologise to the people of Palakkad for misleading them by inaugurating a non-functional unit a year ago. Mr. Boban, quoting medical college authorities, said that the district hospital had failed assign duties for the 12 surgeons and 12 other doctors, including anaesthesiologists, and 40 nurses from the Palakkad Medical College.
The medical college is yet to have a hospital of its own, and the students and teachers of the college are dependent on the district hospital for their clinics.
Mr. Boban said the district hospital authorities were challenging the people of Palakkad for their narrow self-interests. He warned that marches carrying coffins would be taken out to the residences of the district hospital authorities if they continued to ignore people’s demand.
Youth Congress leader Prasobh Vatsan presided.
