Non setting up of Ayush department; Kerala loses big

Kerala is losing big money from the Centre as part of its allotment to the Ayush Department as the state is yet to set up the department. Though into the final stages and the health Minister announcing at regular intervals that the department would be set up at the earliest, official apathy is alleged to have led to the delay.

The latest announcement from Health Minister V S Sivakumar was that the department would be set up in the first week of April. It is alleged that some officials in the health department were creating certain impediments in the process of setting up the department. The sources said that it is highly critical that the department was not set up when the government had no financial burdens. There was no need for creating any additional posts and no money is needed from the state exchequer, they said.

With the delay in setting up Ayush Department, it has been estimated that the state was losing crores of central fund. The state is losing funds for the different schemes under Ayush. And it is also alleged that some of the funds that has been allotted could not be used effectively. If there was an independent department, then all the money could have been utilised in a fruitful manner, they said.

''There is immense scope once the department comes up. Now the state is using only minimal fund from the centre,'' said Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI) General Secretary Dr Rejith Anand. He also noted that the state government only applied for minimal funds from the centre as part of Ayush when compared to the other states.

He said that a separate department would only help in modernising the hospitals, pushing up research activities, development of education, improving quality of drugs and availability of medicinal plants. All these could give an impetus to the growth of traditional medicines, he added.

Source: the New Indian express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/487748/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/undefined#page/5/2

IMA lauds kerala Govt's initiative against sound pollution

Welcoming the state government's decision to prohibit the use of air-horns in vehicles in the State, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said that the state could become a model for the other states to follow.

''The cabinet on Thursday decided to take stringent steps against sound pollution. This is a welcome note that should be followeddd by other states, '' said IMA state president Dr Sreeejith N Kumar and secretary Dr A Jayakrishnan.

The government had also instructed the Motor Vehicles Department to check that the law is strictly adhered to in the State. While flagging off the all-Kerala cycle rally organised by Indian Medical Association, Kerala chapter, against sound pollution, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had on Thursday said that steps will be taken at the earliest to see that vehicles of VIPs, including that of the ministers, do not violate sound pollution norms.

They said that the campaign , titled National Initiative for Safe Sound (NISS), will cover all the districts. The rally that will conclude at Kozhikode on April 28 will highlight the serious health and social effects of noise pollution. Seminars, street plays and other awareness campaigns are being organised as part of the campaign, Kumar and Jayakrishnan said.

Source: the new indian express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/481833/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/18-04-2015#page/2/1

Kerala to get AIIMS: Minister

Dismissing concerns over delay in granting All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to the state, Union Health Minister J P Nadda assured that the state will get AIIMS. ''The Centre is committed to start AIIMS in all the states. Kerala is one of the states where we are going to start it,'' he said.

Nadda made the assurance after laying the foundation stone for new women’s hostel building, dental College additional block at the Medical College here. The government had given a memorandum related to AIIMS, he said. ''We respect the sentiments of the state regarding AIIMS and assure that we will go forward with it,'' he said.

Nadda also said that the Centre has received representation of four locations that have been identified by the state government for setting up AIIMS. ''We have decided to go ahead with the proposal and a team will come here and decide on it,'' he said.

He said that though health is a state subject, the Centre would always suport the state's initiatives. '' I assure you that whatever needed here will be taken care of. The state will gets its due share to keep the pace of development,'' he said.

Sources: The new indian express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/477312/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/11-04-2015#page/2/1

Political pressure lands survey official out

With political pressure mounting from various service organisations, a senior official in the survey department, who is second in command, has been shifted from the post, stating that she is not eligible for the post. It was the same government that gave E R Sobhana a provisional promotion in 2012 taking into consideration her administrative skills. 

And the strange thing is that the government, allegedly under pressure from the service organisations, had given charge of the additional director to a deputy director against whom the vigilance had recommended suspension and even demoting him on various allegations. 

It is alleged that Sobhana was removed from the post as she had been taking stern action against corrupt officials, especially joint/deputy directors and even district survey officials, which has now agitated the service organissations. She even transferred certain people who were siting idle for years at the directorate to other offices, which is alleged to have angered certain union leaders.

As per the government order dated April 4, 2015, it is said that ''some service organisations have represented to government requesting to review the appointment of Sobhana as additional director''. It said that there was no provision in the Special rules of Survey and land records department to promote a person directly to the post pf Additional Director from deputy director in the absence of qualified persons in the cadre of Joint Director. It also said that Sobhana was not eligible for provisional promotion as per rule 31 a (i) of Kerala State & Subordinate Service Rules and as such her appointment was cancelled.

It should be noted that the government in its order dated September 20, 2012, had given provisional promotion to her evoking rule 9 a (i) of the same Kerala State & Subordinate Service Rules. Apart from this, the 2012 order states that she was being given promotion as the two joint directors could not be given promotion as several vigilance inquires were pending against them and were facing action. It also said that one of the joint directors was facing criminal charges at the Peroorkada police station. Sobhana was given promotion as the post was lying vacant from 2000 and the activities of the department was affected. Moreover, the seniority and promotion list in some of the sections are pending for a long time that had led the government to take such a step.

Source: The New Indian express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/473534/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/06-04-2015#page/5/1

Uprighht Survey officials find the going tough

Despite attempts to bring in transparency in the survey department, many of the senior officials, including additional director who is second in command and who had taken severe steps against corrupt officials is being made a scapegoat under political pressure.

With pressure mounting from the various unions against some of the officials, especially additional director E R Sobhana, the revenue department is known to have decided to give the charge of the additional director to a joint director. It is alleged that the decision has been taken without looking into the complaints that have been raised against the additional director but only on certain political pressure. Apart from this, the sources said that the move was also alleged to scuttle the survey inspection of Karuna estate. Sobhana has been given the charge of the survey of the estate after the government constituted a team to trace the excess and illegally possessed land with the Karuna Estate at Nelliyampathy.

Moreover, sources said that the official who is now being given the charge had been involved in many controversies. The survey vigilance unit had earlier recommended for suspending and even demoting this official who is now being handed over the charge. As many as five cases are also pending with the survey vigilance unit against the official, highly placed sources said.

It is known that the Chief Minister had written in a file that was forwarded to the revenue department for taking necessary action on the complaint. This was also confirmed by Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash, who earlier said that the CM had asked to take necessary decision on the complaint that has been raised against the additional director. However, he did not divulge more on the issue.

As part of streamlining the survey department, the additional director had transferred certain people who were siting idle for years at the directorate to other offices, which is alleged to have led certain union leaders to come forward against the additional director.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/459838/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/17-03-2015#page/5/1

Govt overlooking merit in appointments to DME

In the wake of the increasing number of Medical Colleges in the state, the appointment to the post of Director of Medical Education (DME) has raised serious concern with allegations that people without necessary qualifications are being tipped for the post.

Despite people having more experience in teaching and clinical care, administrative experience, management qualification and research papers, it is alleged that the government is considering those who have no such experience, which is alleged to be out of political and other pressures.

Stating that merit was never considered for appointments, Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) secretary Dr C P Vijayan stressed that qualified academicians should only be made DMEs as they can only only bring in novel ideas for developing the medical education sector, which is already said to be deteriorating in the state.

It is reliably known that Kottayam Principal Dr A Remla Beevi and Cochin Medical College Principal Dr Praveen Lal have been considered for the post by the Departmental Promotion committee. It is learned that the government is considering Dr Beevi to the post as the other one is about to retire in a few months.

Generally seniority of principals are taken when making appointments for the post. Even if this criteria is considered, the sources said that there are several others who are more senior than the two who are now being considered. It is also alleged that Kottayam Principal does not have published papers and also falls short of the required 10 years of teaching experience. According to the Medical Council of India norms, ten years of teaching experience and ten published papers are needed for becoming principal or to get appointed to key posts, which are violated here.

Source: The newindian express 

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/459104/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/16-03-2015#page/5/1

Kerala stern on encroachers; to take back all lands in illegal possession of HML

At last the Kerala government has taken a stern step against encroachers in the state, especially with the Special Officer for Land Resumption M G Rajamanickam serving notice to Harrisons Malayalam Ltd to vacate 29,185 acres of land spread over Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts. Apart from this, the government is also for recovering the other stretches of lands, illegally held by the company in the different parts of the state.

It is estimated that HML are in the illegal possession of about 60,000 acres of land. Though several probes have concluded that the HML was in the possession of lands that belonged to the government, no government had taken a firm step against the company until the High Court ruled that that the state government was vested with necessary powers under Kerala Conservancy Act to retrieve the land.

Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash said that all the lands that are to be taken back are government land and the company had fabricated documents. He made it clear that the special officer was appointed based on a High Court order. Before serving the eviction notice, the special office had inspected all the four districts and verified the documents.

The Minister also said that the company had sold 8,147 acres in the four districts from where the company has been asked to vacate. He also said that the company was misleading the people by placing advertisements, which amount to contempt of court. The advertisements have been given by HML Vice president (Legal) V Venugopal, against whom the vigilance had recommended a case after a preliminary inquiry found evidence of forgery of documents and survey maps with the Plantation Majors.

Kerala's moves for a Public Health Agency criticised

The government's move to establish a Public Health Protection Agency has evoked criticism from the medical Fraternity, which maintains that it will not be a substitute to Public Health Cadre and Public Health Department envisaged in the National Health Policy, which has been adopted by several states.

With the emerging/reemerging of many diseases and health indices pointing out that Kerala has not made any advancements for the last ten years, many of the doctors and health experts were for creating a separate Public health cadre and public health department. The government has mooted the Agency to guide the Health Department for improving and protecting public health, mainly focusing on prevention. But experts point out it will be a futile exercise and will not have any major impact.

While mooting the Agency, the government had pointed out that Public Health did not pertain to health department alone but involved the active involvement of other departments like water resources, social welfare, education and LSGD. As such a separate Agency will help in coordinating the works related to public health. Though the experts agree that coordination of departments was needed, they said that an Agency or any coordination unit/agency will not be a substitute to Public Health Department and Public Health Cadre. Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Orissa and Gujarat have already established public Health Departments.

Agreeing that inter departmental coordination is needed for improvement of public health, Indian Medical Association, Kerala, president Sreejith N Kumar said ''Coordination can be called by any name like Public Health Protection Agency or some other name. But an exclusive department for public health is inevitable in the raising threat of emerging/reemerging of many diseases.''

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/376154/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/17-11-2014#page/6/1

Govt says redeployment of MC Doctors based on DME report

Even as the Medical College teachers threaten to launch an agitation against redeploying doctors at the Medical Colleges to run the newly set up Medical colleges at Manjeri and Idukki, the government has stated that the decision to redeploy them was taken based on a report of the Director of Medical Education (DME).

The government has made it clear that the DME, who was asked for a report on the staff pattern, had given a report that there were more teachers as per the norms of the Medical Council of India in the existing medical colleges. ''When the file for creating posts at the new medical colleges was sent to the Finance Department, it had asked for a report of the staff pattern in the Medical Colleges. The DME was entrusted with the task and the director had reported that there were more teachers in the Medical Colleges as per the MCI Norms,'' Health Minister V S Sivakumar said.

On the notice served by the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) that they would go for a strike if Government issues an order with respect to redeployment, he said that the government has nothing to do in this. ''It is their head who said in the report that the medical colleges had more teachers than the prescribed MCI norms and the doctors can be redeployed. It was only after this report that the government had moved ahead in the issue,'' he said.

Source: The new Indian express 

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/376154/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/17-11-2014#page/3/1

Kerala Govt for massive drive against excess land

With the charitable institutions, trusts, religious and caste based institutions and commercial establishments reportedly having excess land to the tune of about 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh acres of land across the state, the government is for launching a massive drive for identifying the excess land in their possession and to retrieve them.

In the case of land given to the Public Sector Units, the government has given directions to take steps to retrieve the land that has not be utilised by the concerned PSUs. It is learned that a meeting, which was chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy last week, had directed the State Land Board to list out the lands that are in excess with the various charitable institutions, trusts, religious and caste based institutions and commercial establishments. The land Board was also asked to initiate ceiling cases against those who have violated the rules and to take steps to take back the land that is in excess.

Highly placed sources said that christian missionaries topped the list of excess land, which is estimated to come around 75,000 acres to 1 lakh acres. The Hindu organisations are said to have about 50,000 to 75,000 acres and the Muslim organisations to be having about 40,000 acres to 50,000 acres of excess land. They also said that the caste based organisations also have violated the rules and have excess land to the tune of about 75,000 acres. Apart from this, charitable institutions and trusts have also lands beyond their permissible possession, which is said to come to about 30,000 acres. However, it has to be noted that the government does not have a proper proper data regarding the land in possession with these organisations, institutions and trusts.

As per the KLR Act, exemption should be availed for the land that is in excess, which is being used for any public purpose. But the officials said that most of the charitable institutions, religious/caste based institutions and others have not yet availed such exemption and they continued to buy lands in different parts of the state.

As a first step, the officials are learned to have been asked to collect details of excess lands in the possession of charitable institutions, trusts, religious and caste based institutions and commercial establishments.

source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/369887/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/07-11-2014#page/4/1

Govt makes wrong diagnosis to strengthen health sector

Even as the government is moving ahead with setting up Medical Colleges in all the districts, the medical fraternity in the state points out lack of vision and plan on the part of government in strengthening the health sector of the state. Instead of medical colleges that bring out undergraduates, they call for strengthening the treatment facilities at secondary and primary level hospitals.

The government is thinking of new medical colleges even as the medical colleges at Palakkad, Manjeri and Idukki is likely to loss the Medical Council of India recognition. Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) secretary Dr C P Vijayan opined that the state did not need more medical colleges for increasing the treatment facilities but the need of the hour was to increase the treatment facilities at the primary and secondary level of hospitals, including the district, taluk and general hospitals.

He also said that the government should only go for new Medical Colleges after conducting a proper study if these institutions that only produce undergraduates are needed. Even the allotment of Medical Colleges in the private sector should be looked into, he added.

There are already 30 medical colleges in the state recognised by the Medical Council of India with about 3350 seats available. As per records, about 55,000 doctors have registered with the State Medical Council. When the doctor patient ratio as per WHO is 1: 1000, the state has a ratio of 1:700, which is far better than the universal standards. It is at this juncture that the state government is setting up new colleges as per its policy. Moreover, it is also alleged that the existing medical colleges though having sufficient funds are lagging in academic, research and training activities as well as patient care.

Source: the newindian express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/364935/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/30-10-2014#page/5/1

Kerala faces shortage of H1N1 drugs

With the Central Government stopping the supply of drugs for H1N1, the government hospitals as well as private hospitals are facing scarcity of the drug. In many of the hospitals, the supply of Tamiflu, which is mainly used for H1N1 has been stopped. The Kerala Medical Services Corporation (KMSCL), which are the main suppliers have only released the medicines till August, which has resulted in the acute shortage.

Some of the hospitals have gone for local purchase and that too is becoming difficult with the scarcity of the drug in the market. When a few of the general hospitals in the state face dearth in the stock of drugs, only some of the hospitals have bought them from the local market. With the general hospitals itself finding it hard to meet the requirement, the taluk and other hospitals are having no stock at all.

Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital superintendent Dr Faseelath Beevi told express that they had no supply from the KMSCL. ''We have some stock of the drug through local purchase. It is the general hospital that supplies the drug to other hospitals in the district, which is not happening now. The supply can be done to the other hospitals only if the KMSCL makes available the drug,'' she said. This is just not an issue at Thiruvananthapuram general Hospital.

Most of the DMOs is learned to have written to the government for supply of the drug. ''It is better to have enough stock of the drug. In case of any outbreak of H1N1, it would be difficult if enough drug is not available. Most of the hospital superintendents have written to the government regarding this. However, the government is yet to take any action in this,'' sources said. 

source> The new indian exopress

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/355188/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/13-10-2014#page/5/1

 

Service Extension to Docs a financial strain

At a time the Oommen Chandy government has come out with various measures to tide over the present financial crisis,  the extension of service of as many as 50 doctors in the Health Service by six months is alleged to be draining the state exchequer. 

The government is paying out a crore per month for the doctors who are at the verge of retirement and who are on extended service when hundreds of doctors are in waiting in the PSC list, which has been pending for a long time.

Those who are at the verge of retirement and the others whose extension period is almost over draws a salary of about Rs 1.50 to Rs 1.75 lakh per month, which means that the state pays out about Rs 75 lakh to Rs 80 lakh. When these doctors are paid such a huge amount, the entry level salary is Rs 40,000.

Officials point out that it is a paradox that the service of the doctors, who are paid highly, are being extended even when the government is talking of bold steps to tide over the financial crisis.  The government had even hiked water charges and removed the existing caps on stamp duty and registration fee, thereby projecting an additional revenue of more than Rs 2,000 crore. Though the salary that is given to the doctors when their service is extended is minimal, it can also add to the revenue of the state, they added.

They also noted that there was no justification in extending the service of the doctors at a time when the government is for stringent measures to tide over the crisis. Even it was decided that the ministers would not take 20 per cent of  their salary until the end of this fiscal. Restrictions have also been imposed on foreign trips of ministers. 

Source: the New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/341586/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/20-09-2014#page/4/1

Flouting rules, Kerala Govt allots surplus land for Society

The government has flouted land reform rules in providing surplus land to a Society in Malappuram for setting up a college at Rs 1,000 per acre per annum lease even when the value of land in the region stands at Rs four to six lakh per cent. Though the government has said that the surplus land has been provided in the name of public purpose, it is alleged to be against the existing land reform rules. 
The government in its order (G.O (M.S)No.342/2014/RD) dated August 8, 2014, says that an extent of 5 acres of land from the 7.45 acres of surplus land in Survey No.3/1 of Block No 78 in Wandoor Village has been given on lease of Rs 1,000 per acre per annum for 30 years to Indhiraji Memorial Society. 
The government is said to have neglected the recommendations of the State Land Board, which had pointed out that surplus lands should not be given to private societies even if public interest was involved in it as it would go against the spirit of KLR Act. As per the Act, if surplus land has to be used for public purpose, it should be in conformity with the main objective of the Act, which is agrarian reforms. Priority should be for providing surplus land to landless agriculture labourers, which has been flouted here. 
It has been alleged that when the value of land stood at about Rs 5 lakh per cent, the society has been granted land almost free of cost. It was also alleged that once the land is given on lease, the society will become the owners of the land in course of time, which was evident in most of the leased land cases.

Source: The New Indian Express 

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/321393/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/15-08-2014#page/6/1

Salary delay: staff of Special Revenue offices in a fix

With Onam only a month away, Revenue employees deployed in temporary revenue offices opened for special purposes in the state are left in the lurch as they have been denied their salary due to non-extension of their services. The government has only given continuous service extension to the employees till June and the file for sanctioning the respective post is pending with the Finance department.

Though Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash has taken up the issue in the cabinet, the finance department is yet to take action. With the continuous sanction becoming an issue every six months, the leading unions – Kerala Revenue Department Staff Association (KRDSA) and the Kerala Land Revenue Staff Association (KLRSA) – have demanded a permanent solution to the issue.

As many as 5000 employees in special offices such as Land tribunal, land acquisition, National Highway are at the mercy of the government.

source: the New Indian express 

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/320293/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/13-08-2014#page/5/1