NRI healthcare entrepreneur Abdul Latheef ‘Uppala,’ managing nearly 30 hospitals across West Asia and India, expressed his decision to cease investments in Kerala. This decision follows Health Minister Veena George’s absence at the inauguration of his Kasaragod-based Wintouch Multispecialty Hospital.
Latheef invested Rs 100 crore and rescheduled the inauguration for the minister’s convenience but felt humiliated when she didn’t attend. He declared, “This will be my last project in Kerala.”
Managing hospitals in Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE, Latheef emphasized the need for a government representative at the inauguration to encourage further investments. He cited the encouragement from MLAs and his promise during the Rising Kasaragod Investment Summit to establish a medical college in the region.
Despite MLA A K M Ashraf’s assurance that the minister agreed to attend, Veena George later declined. Latheef criticized her actions, stating they contradict the state government’s NRI investment policy.
In response to a student’s confrontation during her Kasaragod visit, Veena George denied inaugurating any private hospital and distanced herself from the multispecialty hospital’s construction. Latheef remains firm in his decision to end investments in Kerala.
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