Money for health card

Only when multiple deaths due to food poisoning happened in the state did the food safety department and government get vigilant. There was a whole ruckus of checkings in multiple hotels and an uproar of announcements. Meanwhile, some new rules were also introduced.
It looks like any new law, in due course, will be a gateway for executives to commit more corruption. This is something both the government and the people know. There is no need to wait till the collapse of a building or a death from food poisoning for such rules to be brought into action.

Had the food safety officers done their duty without accepting bribes then the hotels would have served decent food to the customers. It might be the same officials who suggested that compulsory health cards for the hotel employees will solve all the problems. Government made health cards compulsory from February 1st without conducting even a basic study on the number of hotels and the number of employees in them. This date was extended due to complaints. Following that, all migrant workers made a queue in front of all health centers. An authorized doctor is supposed to give the health card only after a detailed checkup to ensure that the one getting it has no skin disease, communicable diseases, wounds, cuts, an eye checkup, and making sure that he took the covid vaccine. If the guidelines by the government are followed one whole year won't be enough to issue the certificates. At least 3 months' time should have been provided for these health cards. Camps must have been conducted for providing these. Health department did none of these. In reality, the ones who issued the order that these health cards should be acquired immediately are the ones who made the ground for bribes in this matter. Three doctors from Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital have been suspended for this. Action was taken against Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital RMO Dr. V Amit, casualty medical officers Ayesha, V Govind, and Vinca Vincent. It is alleged that the certificates were issued by them without even seeing the parties. 300 rupees for a certificate with seal and certificate. The mediators were the security employees from the hospital. If the doctor was paid 300, then the mediators must have been paid at least 200.

The hotel owners or contractors must have taken at least 1000 rupees or one day's salary from migrant workers for getting them a health card. Being scared of losing their job because of not having a health card must have forced them to pay as well. Through health cards, officials turned the crisis of food poisoning into a magnificent opportunity to take bribes. Functioning without a health card was far better than with these fake cards. Moves to digitalize health cards are under consideration says the minister. Next corruption will be happening there.