Latest news with #ShafiParambil
The Hindu
01-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
LDF govt. more concerned about PR campaigns than attending to Health sector: Shafi Parambil
Shafi Parambil, Congress MP, has alleged that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government is ignoring government medical college hospitals in the State because they are 'addicted to public relations campaigns'. He was opening a protest meeting outside the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, against the various problems affecting the healthcare sector in the State. Mr. Shafi alleged that the government was also helping the 'private hospital lobby' by neglecting medical college hospitals. He claimed that the rights of patients for medical care were being curtailed. Mr. Shafi demanded that the government cut down its expenditure on PR campaigns and use the funds for patients' welfare. Highlighting the recent social media post by C.S. Haris, Head of the Department of Urology at the Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, about the lack of availability of surgical devices and equipment, Mr. Shafi alleged that even a Left sympathiser like him could not hide his disappointment over the state of affairs at the facility. Meanwhile, members of the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers' Association (KGMCTA) organised a protest meeting on National Doctors' Day on Tuesday (July 1), raising various demands. Opening the protest, C.S. Aravind, KGMCTA State secretary, said that the doctors in government medical colleges were disappointed with the current situation and called for urgent reforms in the sector. The doctors raised demands such as the creation of more posts of medical teachers in view of the rising number of patients, a clear definition of their working hours, and a halt to the temporary transfers of doctors, citing inspections by the National Medical Commission and the Kerala University of Health Sciences.
The Hindu
14-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Nilambur Assembly bypoll: Congress leaders cry foul over ‘targeted' vehicle checks as campaign intensifies
With less than four days for the Nilambur Assembly byelection, the campaign is becoming murkier, with Congress MP Shafi Parambil and Palakkad legislator Rahul Mankootathil accusing election officials of targeting them by asking them to pull over their vehicles at Colony Plot near Nilambur on Friday night (June 13, 2025.) The young Congress leaders have compared the incident of their vehicles being checked to the midnight raids on the hotel rooms of Congress leaders during the Palakkad by-poll last November. However, Election Commission officials dismissed the allegations of the Congress leaders, stating that vehicle checking is a routine procedure during polls. In fact, checks were carried out on the vehicles of IUML MP Abdul Wahab and CPI(M) MPs K. Radhakrishnan and P.K. Biju by the Static Surveillance Team at various entry points to Nilambur. These checks have been video-recorded. In a press release, district Collector and district Election Officer V.R. Vinod clarified that as part of the Model Code of Conduct implementation, 10 static surveillance teams, nine flying squads, three anti-defamation squads, two video surveillance teams and other systems are working. These are mandatory measures in accordance with the rules and regulations issued by the Election Commission of India, and he urged the people to cooperate with the officials. Earlier, the Congress leaders said they had been insulted by the officials, who had shone a torch into their vehicles, asked them to get out, and checked their suitcases. However, CPI(M) leaders, including A. Vijayaraghavan and Minister for Public Works Department P.A. Mohamed Riyas, said the Congress leaders were dramatising the incident during the campaign instead of fighting the electoral battle politically. LDF convener T.P. Ramakrishnan said it was unbecoming of elected representatives to disrespect the authority of the Election Commission and question it. 'They should cooperate with the procedures,' he said. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi will begin his three-day campaign in the constituency on Saturday morning (June 14, 2025). AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who will visit various places in Wayanad on Saturday, will also campaign in Nilambur, a part of Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, on Sunday (June 15, 2025). The Nilambur bypoll on 19 June has become the cynosure of Kerala's political scenario with the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the CPI(M)-led LDF marshalling all their resources. The CPI(M) has nominated M. Swaraj, Congress has fielded Aryadan Shoukath and the BJP Mohan George. Also in the fray is P.V. Anvar, who resigned his legislative membership, which necessitated the byelection in the segment. He had won as an Independent with the support of the LDF in the 2021 Assembly polls. The counting of votes will take place on 23 June.
