C.P. Santhosh Kumar was re-elected as the Kannur district secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) at the district conference concluded here on Sunday. A 39-member district council was also elected. Senior party leaders Panniyan Raveendran, Sathyan Mokeri, K.P. Rajendran, Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil, and P. Santhosh Kumar, MP, were among those who spoke at the conference.
The conference urged the State Health department to introduce uniform treatment charges across private hospitals through a comprehensive study and legislation, citing rampant exploitation and unregulated costs in the sector.
The conference flagged wide discrepancies in treatment costs for similar procedures in different private hospitals in the district. It alleged that patients, especially accident victims and those in critical condition, were charged exorbitant rates upon admission, often with little concern for their financial situation.
