Kozhikode: Kerala has marked yet another pioneering innovation in the field of public healthcare. Health Ministry along with Meitra Hospital has successfully set up the state’s first Tele-ICU at Beach Hospital, Kozhikode. Meitra Hospital will be leading the deployment of the clinical & technological expertise, while Faizal & Shabana Foundation will financially support the recurring operations of this initiative. The official launch took place on the auspicious occasion of Kerala Piravi, in the presence of Honorable Health Minister Ms. K K Shailaja, MLA Pradeep Kumar, District Collector Mr. Sambasiva Rao IAS, Superintendent of Beach Hospital Mr. Ummer Farook, District Programme Manager - National Health Mission Dr. A Naveen, Meitra Hospital Chairman Mr. Faizal E Kottkollon, Meitra Hospital CEO Dr. P Mohanakrishnan. 

Government General Hospital, also known as Beach Hospital becomes the first member of Meitra Hospital’s mission to upgrade and equip healthcare with technology & bridge an acute shortage of intensivists in the country. The initiative is not just expected to address the deficient number of specialists but will offer a range of critical care facilities ensuring better health outcomes, risk - reduction of medication errors, and infection control, through pro-active round-the-clock monitoring.

“The initiative is intended to turn the healthcare system into a giant ecosystem. There is a shortage of Intensivists and the current pandemic has laid open the gap and exposed the vulnerabilities at a global level. It is the right time to leverage technological innovations to solve healthcare challenges, by giving the doctors more digital solutions in their armamentarium. Meitra Hospital has always prided itself on being at the forefront of healthcare innovations. We are happy to be partnering with the Health Ministry to bring the latest technological advancements to the state to serve the people better,” said Faizal E Kottikollon, Chairman, Meitra Hospital & Founder Chairman, KEF Holdings.

“There are more than 3 lac ICU beds, but less than 5000 intensivists in the country. The gap is huge & cannot be left unaddressed especially when it comes to life-saving critical care treatments. Technology advancements have ensured that we can now democratize quality healthcare and bring it closer to people through wider access. Our Tele-ICU setup is a proud Made-in-India solution that is at par with global standards. Our team of intensivists will monitor the Tele-ICUs from our Command Center based at Meitra Hospital which will offer round-the-clock monitoring of critical care patients. We have also trained the staff at Beach Hospital so that they stay abreast of the new technology” informed Dr. P Mohanakrishnan, CEO, Meitra Hospital.

Meitra hospital stands committed to providing quality healthcare in the country. This step towards creating a network of Tele-ICUs in the region once again reiterates its commitment towards its people. The hospital will be extending this facility to a host of other hospitals in the region to bridge the doctor-gap and make their ICUs more robust, efficient, and better adept at handling diverse kinds of critical care patients, a release said.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.

The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.

He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.

"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.

Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."

"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.

Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.

"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.

Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."

Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.

"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.

Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.

"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.

For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough." 

"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.

Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.

"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."

"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU

Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.