Pathanamthitta (Kerala), Jul 7 (PTI) Kerala Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cheriyan on Monday credited private healthcare facilities for their services, recounting how one such hospital saved his life years ago when he fell critically ill with dengue fever after being treated at a government hospital.

Talking to reporters here, Cheriyan said people, including ministers, taking treatment at private hospitals was just normal practice.

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Cheriyan's remarks on the healthcare facilities came while defending ministers seeking treatment at private hospitals.

"Wherever people can get good treatment first, they will go there and what is wrong with that?" he asked, questioning how many ministers actually prefer government facilities.

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Recounting a personal experience, Cheriyan said he was "almost dead due to the treatment at a government hospital" after being admitted for dengue fever in 2019.

"When I was almost dead due to the treatment at the government hospital, it was recommended to take me to Amrita Hospital. I had remained there unconscious for 14 days and had been cured later," he said.

The minister further said private hospitals may have more technologies, and there is nothing wrong with people going there for advanced treatment.

Cheriyan's statement came amidst raging debate over the alleged lapses in the government hospitals and medical colleges in the state.

However, the minister later came up with a clarification that he never tried to belittle the services provided by the government hospitals, and a section of the media distorted what he said.

In a Facebook post, Cheriyan said lakhs of people are depending on the government hospitals in the state, and he was mentioning the circumstances in which people had to depend upon private healthcare facilities.

Distorting the statements in this regard was condemnable, he said, and requested people to reject such propaganda being made with political motives.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)