JOIN USKasargod's campaign for AIIMS gains fresh momentum
With the weak health infrastructure of Kasargod district being highlighted following the COVID-19 crisis, the demand for setting up an AIIMS in the North Kerala district that shares borders with Karnataka is gaining fresh momentum.
It has been a long pending demand of the district for advanced treatment facilities, especially considering the large number of endosulfan victims in the district. Owing to the lack of medical infrastructure, a major chunk of people in the district have to visit Mangaluru for treatment. However, owing to travel restrictions due to the coronavirus, around 15 persons from Kasargod died, allegedly due to delay in getting proper medical attention.
Owing the lockdown norms, the fresh campaign for AIIMS has been mainly carried out through social media with the support of noted personalities. On June 27, an 'AIIMS Vilambaram' (AIIMS proclamation) campaign would be organised. People joining the campaign would stay at various locations in groups, maintaining social distance, with placards demanding the setting up of AIIMS.
Ambalathara Kunhikrishnan, leader of an action council of endosulfan victims, said that coronavirus indeed helped in bringing much attention to the weak medical infrastructure of the district. Hence the campaign was initiated at this point of time. All political parties, including BJP, backed it, and the state and centre governments were now very well aware of the weak health infrastructure of the district. The ongoing campaign received support from noted personalities like poets K Sachidanandan and K G Sankara Pillai and actor Kunchacko Boban.
The centre had earlier announced that it would consider setting up one AIIMS in Kerala. It would require around 200 acre. The state had proposed four locations for AIIMS, which did not included Kasargod, even as local activists said that the district have adequate land for the purpose.