The Kerala Chief Minister on October 6 came down on the Indian Medical Association (IMA)- Kerala, for its remarks that the Health department was "infested with worms" and said such a comment should have been avoided.

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Only those with infested minds could make such an observation, he said during the online inauguration of 75 family health centres across Kerala. The IMA had criticised the Health department in the backdrop of suspension of a doctor coordinating COVID duties at the medical college hospital here and two head nurses after an infected patient's family alleged that maggots were found in his bed sores and no proper care was provided to him.

Taking on the IMA, the Kerala Chief Minister said such "misleading statements" should be avoided by those "who claim to be an expert" in the field as "it was not right". "Only those with infested minds can claim that the whole 'health department is infested with maggots'. Kerala's endeavours in the field of health have not been so poor to deserve such an insult," he said.

In a release, the IMA had also alleged that enough ventilators and ICUs were not ready yet to treat serious patients. The Kerala Chief Minister, at a press meet held in the evening, said the state government takes decisions in the health sector based on the suggestions submitted by an expert medical panel, which also includes members from the IMA. "The IMA is an organisation of doctors. From various suggestions provided by organisations, including the IMA, the expert panel selects the best option and submits it to the government," he added.

The state government has various medical panels, including the COVID cell, Rapid Response Team, State Medical Board, an expert panel and all these are "handled by those with academic expertise," he said. "We follow the suggestions of these bodies to contain the pandemic. The members of these bodies are also members of IMA. After all, IMA is not an expert body, but an organisation of doctors to safeguard their interests. But has the central government been considering their expertise during this pandemic? They do not have any criticism on that score," the Kerala Chief Minister said.

Dismissing the association's charge about shortage of ventilators, he said steps had already been to make to make necessary purchases. Kerala has been witnessing a steep climb in COVID-19 cases in the past one month and opposition parties have been attacking the state government, alleging lapses in the health department.