Health Minister should be removed from office: Mani

Kottayam, May 5 (UNI) Kerala Congress (M) leader) K M Mani today demanded that State Health Minister P K Sreemathi should be removed from the office till the disposal of the case relating to the death of infants in the Sree Avitam Thirunal hospital.

Addressing a press conference here, he contended that in the wake of CPI (M) State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan's statement that the infants were killed following the non-implementation of the directions of the LDF and the Government, the Chief Minister should remove the Health Minister from the office.

The minister should have resigned owning moral responsibility for the deaths of 38 infants. Since a case was registered against her for culpable homicide she should not be allowed to continue in office, he said.

The Minister was well aware of the situation in the hospital from the report of the hospital superintendent. Further the matter was again brought to her notice at the health society's meeting on April 17. But she had not taken any remedial steps, he charged.

Mr Mani criticised the stand of the CPI (M) that its ministers were above the law. The CPI (M)'s stand against the court for taking action on a complaint against the infant deaths was ridiculous, he said.

UNI