Thiruvananthapuram, 04 July(HS): Shocked by the state of affairs in the Government-run medical college hospitals and general hospitals in the State, Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala is flying off to the USA on Saturday early morning for treatment in Mayo Clinic.

Although the chief minister’s health condition is being kept confidential, sources close to the CMO have stated that Vijayan is suffering from a serious ailment.

The chief minister’s trip to the US comes immediately after Dr Haris Chirackel, head of the department of urology, Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College, disclosed the other day that there were no surgical equipment in his department despite his complaints to the higher authorities. The Chief Minister, who was annoyed over the disclosure made by Dr Haris, alleged that there were attempts to portray the world-class medical system in the State by communal, fascist and imperialist forces.

On Thursday, a building of Kottayam Medical College collapsed, resulting in the death of a 56-year-old Bindu, who had come to the hospital to be with her daughter who had been admitted to the hospital for surgery.

Though the State’s Health Minister Veena George, described the incident as a small mishap and no life has been lost, the death of Bindu forced her to make a quick retreat and rush to the capital city.

Activists of the CPI(M) staged a demonstration in Pathanamthitta asking the Kerala Government to drop Veena from the council of ministers as she has become a burden for the party and the government.

Vijayan’s trip to the US is being seen as a fallout of his lack of trust in Kerala’s health system and the failure of the Department of health to make matters work.

Meanwhile, the condition of the former chief minister and founder-leader of the CPI(M) continued to be critical. He is on a life support system and doctors attending to him were told by a four-member team of expert doctors to continue with the kind of treatment he is being given.

Hindusthan Samachar / Manohar Yadavatti