Satheesan Acknowledges Improvement in Government Hospitals Compared to UDF Era

Kochi: Opposition leader V. D. Satheesan admitted that the infrastructure of government hospitals has improved, despite the false propaganda against the state’s health sector. His remarks came in response to a journalist’s question about the number of people visiting hospitals during the LDF and UDF periods.

During a press conference, journalists pointed out that while 80 million people visited government hospitals under the UDF government, 130 million visited during the LDF period. In response, Satheesan acknowledged that the improvement in basic hospital facilities was due to various types of funding. However, the opposition leader later rejected the argument that the increase in patient numbers was because ordinary people could not afford treatment in private hospitals.

The figures show that the number of people visiting government hospitals has reached an all-time high. In 2025, 12.63 crore people attended government outpatient services, 12.67 lakh received inpatient treatment, and 2.47 lakh completed major surgeries. During the UDF period, government hospitals were able to treat only 8 crore patients. The lower numbers at that time were not due to fewer patients but rather because the facilities in government hospitals were inadequate.