Meitra Hospital with the Health Ministry to establish Kerala’s first Tele-ICU at Beach Hospital
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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3 Indians arrested in Canada for shooting outside home
Ottawa (PTI): Three Indian nationals have been arrested by Canadian police on an anti-extortion patrol and charged after bullets were fired at a home.
Harjot Singh (21), Taranveer Singh (19) and Dayajeet Singh Billing (21) face one count each of discharging a firearm, and all have been remanded in custody until Thursday, the Surrey Police Service (SPS) said in a statement on Monday.
The suspects were arrested by patrol officers after an early morning report of shots fired and a small fire outside a home in Surrey's Crescent Beach neighbourhood, the LakelandToday reported.
On February 1, 2026, the SPS members were patrolling in Surrey’s Crescent Beach neighbourhood when reports came in of shots being fired and a small fire outside a residence near Crescent Road and 132 Street.
The three accused were arrested by SPS officers a short time later, the statement said.
SPS’s Major Crime Section took over the investigation, and the three men have now been charged with Criminal Code offences, it said.
All three have been charged with one count each of discharging a firearm into a place contrary to section 244.2(1)(a) of the Criminal Code.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming. All three have been remanded in custody until February 5, 2026.
The SPS has confirmed they are all foreign nationals and has engaged the Canada Border Services Agency, it said.
One of the suspects suffered injuries, including two black eyes, the media report said.
Surrey police Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said on Monday that the suspect had refused to comply with instructions to get out of the ride-share vehicle and started to "actively resist."
"As we were trained, he was taken to the ground and safely handcuffed," said Houghton.
A second suspect with a black eye was also injured in the arrest after refusing to comply, Houghton said.
The arresting officers were part of Project Assurance, an initiative that patrols neighbourhoods that have been targeted by extortion violence.
Houghton said the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is also involved because the men are foreign nationals, and the trio may face additional charges.
It's not clear if the men are in the country on tourist visas, a study permit, or a work permit, but Houghton said CBSA has started its own investigation into the men's status.
Surrey has seen a number of shootings at homes and businesses over the last several months, but there's been an escalation since the new year.
