Thiruvananthapuram, February 25 – A fresh political controversy erupted in Kerala's healthcare sector on Wednesday after Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan demanded immediate action from Health Minister Veena George over her allegations that private hospitals were paying commissions to ambulance drivers.
Satheesan's sharp response came after the minister claimed at a public function that private hospitals in Kochi pay ambulance drivers Rs 10,000 for every patient they bring in.
She said that doctors had informed her about this practice.
The minister further alleged that some hospitals in Thiruvananthapuram pay up to Rs 5,000 per patient, adding that if an ambulance driver transports ten patients, he could earn Rs 50,000.
According to her, hospitals subsequently recover these amounts from patients' bills.
In response to the claims, Satheesan said: "If the Health Minister believes there is an ambulance lobby, it is her responsibility to control it. Is it the Opposition that has to rein it in? What is needed is action, not speeches."
In a pointed remark, he added that if every daily inquiry report as asked by George each time an incident took place and the reply concerning the health sector were to be tabled, "a hall would have to be rented" to accommodate them, an apparent swipe at what he termed repeated disclosures without visible follow-up.
The minister had also raised concerns about large-scale investments by global pharmaceutical companies in Kerala's private healthcare sector.
She claimed that these firms hold 80 to 90 per cent equity in certain hospitals and that while the per-bed investment in other states stands at around Rs 1.5 crore, it is approximately Rs 2.5 crore in Kerala.
The exchange marks the latest round in a prolonged tit-for-tat between the two leaders over healthcare governance.
With the allegations now in the public domain, attention has shifted to whether the government will initiate a formal probe into the claims or move to tighten regulatory oversight of private hospitals.