Venu a victim of collapse of ‘Arogyakeralam,’ says Satheesan

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said on Thursday that Venu of Panmana, Kollam, who died at the Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, on Wednesday night allegedly due to medical negligence, is a victim of the collapse of ‘Arogyakeralam’.

In a statement here, Mr. Satheesan said that the Health department, which had been left mangled and broken under the LDF rule, killed Venu and that the government cannot absolve itself of the responsibility of his death.

He said that ordinary citizens are paying the price for the incompetence of the Health Minister, who herself had admitted a few months ago that the “system” had failed.

Venu’s voice message should be treated as a dying declaration, and those responsible must be charged with culpable homicide, Mr. Satheesan demanded.

The incident had led to protests by the Youth Congress activists, who tried to force their way into the office of the Superintendent of the medical college, following which two persons were arrested and removed by the police.