Oommen Chandy’s brother writes to Kerala Health Min, seeks govt-formed medical team

Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s younger brother, Alex Chandy, has written a letter to Kerala Health Minister Veena George seeking the urgent intervention of a state government-constituted medical board in the treatment of his brother at a Bengaluru hospital. Oommen Chandy’s relatives had earlier, in February, petitioned Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleging that his family was denying him proper treatment.

Soon after the petition, Oommen Chandy was hospitalised with suspected pneumonia and the Health Department had constituted a six-member medical board comprising expert doctors from various departments to oversee the treatment of the former chief minister. He was later airlifted and shifted to a hospital in Bengaluru, where he is currently under treatment.

Alex's letter now expresses concerns and doubts if proper scientific medical treatment is being given to his brother. "I seek the urgent intervention of you to ensure that the Kerala government constituted medical team looks into the ongoing treatment protocol given to my brother and suggests what needs to be done. There should be an arrangement done so the progress of his health condition gets intimated on a daily basis to the Chief Minister and Health Minister," wrote Alex.

The former Chief Minister has not been keeping well since 2019 and had to undergo laser surgery for a throat ailment at a Germany hospital. He was under treatment at a multi-specialty hospital in Bengaluru last year but had returned to Thiruvananthapuram on January 1 and was to return after some days, but failed to do so, leading to confusion.

When his younger brother and 41 others wrote to Pinarayi on February 6 expressing concern, things started to move and a special team of government medical professionals was constituted.