Seriously ill patients from Kasaragod to be airlifted: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 09: Critically ill persons from Kasaragod district would be airlifted to hospitals within the state if needed, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said as one more patient died in the northern district after being "not allowed" to reach Mangaluru in Karnataka.

Since the lockdown, imposed to prevent the COVID-19 spread, came into force, Karnataka has sealed its border roads and highways, resulting in death of at least nine patients from Kerala after ambulances carrying them were not allowed to cross Thalapady, about 20 km from Mangaluru. The issue was resolved on Tuesday with Karnataka agreeing to allow non-COVID-19 patients to cross the border to avail treatment at Mangaluru hospitals.

Vijayan told reporters on Thursday that even though the matter was solved, some issues still remained. "Today also, one person died not getting treatment", he said, but did not elaborate on the issues.

"To ensure this does not happen again, seriously ill patients, will be airlifted to hospitals in our state, if needed", he said. Meanwhile, Kerala made additional arrangements to issue medical certificates to patients seeking treatment in Mangaluru in Karnataka for diseases other than COVID-19.

A facility for issuing certificates was already functioning near the Thalapady check post in Kerala. Besides this, a Medical Officer will be posted 24/7 at the Manjeswaram Community Health Centre (CHC) to issue the certificates, Kasaragod District Medical Officer (Health) Dr A V Ramdas said.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday had disposed of Karnataka's petition challenging the Kerala High Court order on opening the national highway traffic at Kasaragod border to provide hospital access in Mangaluru to patients from Kerala after the centre informed the two states have amicably resolved the issue.