NCP demands CM, Health Minister's resignation

Thiruvananthapuram, May 4 (UNI) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Leader K Karunakaran today asked Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and Health Minister P K Sreemathi to owning responsibility for deaths of newborns reported at a government-run hospital in the capital during the past four months and resign.

Addressing a press conference here, he said a government which could not save human lives had no moral right to continue in the office.

Mr Karunakaran said Sports and Youth Affairs Minister M Vijayakumar, who represented the constituency, also had responsibility to the incident.

Alleging no preventive steps had been taken so far for preventing such incidents in the future, the former Chief Minister said the labour room in the hospital should have been closed at least two days to make it free from infection.

On a local court's direction, a case was today filed against seven persons, including Kerala Health Minister P K Sreemathi, for failing to take steps to prevent the deaths of new born babies due to infection at the state-run Sree Avittam Tirunal (SAT) Hospital.

A case had never been registered against a health minister in this respect in the history of Kerala, he claimed.

Mr Karunakaran also alleged the government had not taken any effective action to evict encroachers from the government land at Munnar in Idukki district.

Though the Chief Minister was convinced that illegal constructions were going on in government land, during his recent visit, no action had been taken so far, he alleged and suggested stern action against all,irrespective of political affiliations.

If the government did not take action against them, the people would come forward against it, he warrned.

The NCP leader informed he would leave for Delhi after the Uttar Pradesh election and continue his mission to bring leaders to the party.

UNI