Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad launches public‑health awareness drive

The Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) will launch a series of public campaigns and discussions to highlight shifting trends in the state's health sector. A seminar in Kozhikode on Sunday, Oct 18, 2026, introduced the plan. Public‑health expert K.P. Aravindan opened with a talk on private and foreign investments in Kerala’s health system and possible alternatives. T.P. Mubarack Sani, chair of KSSP’s health committee, then addressed insurance schemes and broader public‑health concerns. Academic T.P. Kunhikannan presided over the event. Seminar participants warned that high morbidity, a surge in lifestyle diseases and a growing senior‑citizen population are driving up medical‑treatment costs across Kerala. They said private finance capital is buying both small and large hospitals, attracted by people’s willingness to spend more on health care. Activists claimed the Union government, meant to protect citizens, is instead serving finance capital that heavily invests in health insurance, pharmaceuticals, labs, medical equipment and hospitals. They also accused the government machinery of failing to ensure the availability and quality of essential drugs.

Context

India’s health sector is seeing expanding private investment while public systems face rising demand from an ageing population. Kerala’s high literacy and health awareness make it a focal point for such debates. The KSSP drive reflects broader worries about profit motives crowding out affordable care.