BJP warns of agitation to force Sreemathi's ouster

Kochi, May 5 (UNI) The BJP today warned of a statewide agitation if Kerala Health Minister P K Sreemathi did not step down or was dropped from the cabinet by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan following the death of 38 infants at the government-run SAT Hospital.

Addressing a press conference here, state party general secretary A N Radhakrishanan accused the LDF government of neglecting the health sector and spending money on other things.

''If the government could allocate Rs ten lakh for the Nayanar football tournament recently, could it not spend Rs 30 lakh for upgrading the services in the SAT Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram,'' Mr Radhakrishanan said.

Demanding Ms Sreemathi's resignation, he said she had earlier failed to effectively tackle the 'chikungunya' epidemic in the state, which led to the death of several people in Alappuzha district.

If the minister stuck to her stand of not stepping down, the Chief Minister should show the courage to oust her from the cabinet.

Otherwise, the BJP would launch a strong state-wide protest against her, he added.

Hinting at some under-hand collusion between the LDF and some private hospitals in the state, the BJP leader demanded a probe into an agreement signed by the government with some hospitals.

The state police, on directions from a lower court, yesterday filed a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against Ms Sreemathi and six SAT Hospital staff for failing to take effective steps to prevent the deaths of newborn babies due to an infection at the state-run Sree Avittam Tirunal (SAT) Hospital.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate S Gopala Krishnan had given the direction after hearing a public interest petition filed by BJP activist V Vikraman.

UNI