Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has been criticised for his trip to the United States. Pinarayi Vijayan travelled to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, on September 2 for treatment and a possible surgical procedure.

The decision to go to Mayo Clinic has been taken as there is a consensus on the treatment procedure to be followed among doctors in India and the American clinic. However, the exact health issue of Vijayan is not known yet in the State.

On July 31, Kerala businessman Kochouseph Chittilappilly had indirectly mocked Vijayan for choosing America for his health check-up. He said, while reading the news about the chief minister’s trip to the US he remembered a run-in he had with people of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) years ago.

In his Facebook post, he wrote, “Nothing personal, but while reading this news I remembered about the days when we had labour strike at V-Guard years back... The CITU people then called me 'Petty Burshua (sic) ... American cheruppu nakki (America’s boot-licker)… At that time I was only a small-scale industrialist, having only an old run-down scooter. How time flies and ideals and ideologies change!!”

Communists 24 hours boast about the healthcare system of Kerala. According to their claims, Kerala has the ‘best health care’ system in India or even the world. 

Netizens also questioned why Vijayan was heading to the US instead of trusting doctors in Kerala. They also reminded him of the promises made by the ruling LDF government before coming to power.

Prior to the elections in 2015, through advertisements, the party had promised best facilities including healthcare in the State. Their ad had said, "LDF varum ellam sariyakum" (LDF will come, everything will be solved).

Now, netizens from Kerala trolled the chief minister while bringing up the slogan from the pre-poll ad. Several people on Facebook wrote that if Vijayan himself is not confident of State’s medical facilities, how can commoners trust them.

Pinarayi Vijayan is not the only political leader who flew abroad for treatment.

Sonia Gandhi has also travelled to foreign countries for treatment. Tamil Nadu's DMK chief MK Stalin frequently heads to London for treatment.

As far as Pinarayi Vijayan is concerned, it’s quite ironical that the chief minister, who had asked UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, to learn about healthcare from Kerala, is now in the US for his treatment.

People also allege that being a communist, Vijayan could have travelled to communist countries like Cuba or North Korea, but, he has gone to a capitalist country for his treatment. It shows that he has accepted that capitalist countries like the US are far ahead in science and technology as compared to any other communist country. 

Netizens question why politicians of all these parties harp about the health sector in India, but rush to foreign land when it concerns their health?

Common man relies on the medical facilities in native land. If the facilities are not guaranteed, why take the voters for a ride? Dear Pinarayi Vijayan, does it mean your pre-poll promise stays unfulfilled, having failed to provide best health care in Kerala?