The famed public health system of Kerala( key indicator of the so-called Kerala model) is the story of the past. And the fact of the matter is public health in Kerala is in crisis. And Privatization of Medical care is eclipsing public health in multiple ways. Today a significant number of people are in debt in Kerala due to the high cost of private Medical care and private education.
While it is important to highlight the totally unavoidable deaths of many children in UP, I am also deeply concerned about the deteriorating public health conditions of Keralam.
For the last couple of months the state became the epicenter of various strains of viral fever. Every one at my home got it. In last April,I got a bad stretch of viral fever in Kerala and I ended up in St Louis Medical College hospital ( Bangkok)for five days ( towards the end of April),losing seven Kilos. On April 26 ,I got the viral infection in Kerala and fortunately I rushed to the hospital the moment I reached Bangkok. Now I come to Kerala with a bit of worry as I got viral fever twice( April and July) .My mom was hospitalized for five days in Kerala. And now we all lost a young girl due to Dengue fever. I am sure almost everyone I know got one or other kind of fever in the last couple of months. What does it indicate the quality of public health in Kerala?
Why is this happening? Pollution of water resources, bad waste management and lack of necessary medical protocol in government and private hospitals. During monsoon, mosqito multiplies all over and due to the lack of public health prepardeness almost every one get different kinds viral fever. One gets worried about mosquitos everywhere. How many people lost life in Kerala in the last couple of months?.
While government give big advertisement boasting number one status on many front, or those who use the fb app to boast the number one claim , let us not forget the multiple mess in and around us. There are many things to be proud of the achievements of Kerala. But let us not get carried away by the rhetoric. Let us also learn to recognize the multiple crisis we are facing on many front. Ad campaign is an easy and lazy response. But it takes Herculean effort to move out of present crisis and impending challenges within society, economy, Politics and Governance.
Kerala has the highest rate of Privatisation of Medical care without any regulatory or accountability framework. The once up on a time famed public health system in Kerala is in crisis.
Kerala has the highest rate of Privatisation of Medical care without any regulatory or accountability framework. The once up on a time famed public health system in Kerala is in crisis.
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