THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s journey to the United States for medical treatment has once again brought into focus a long-standing practice among top political leaders — seeking advanced healthcare abroad.

While the move sparked political criticism over the state of Kerala’s public healthcare system, it also aligns with a historical pattern of chief ministers, cutting across party lines, turning to foreign countries for treatment.

Rare exceptions included CPM’s E K Nayanar and CPI’s P K Vasudevan Nair, who are perhaps among the few state CMs who never travelled abroad for medical treatment.

The practice dates back to the pre-1990 era when left leaders, particularly from the CPI and CPM, preferred the erstwhile Soviet Union for higher medical care. Two of Kerala’s most iconic communist chief ministers — E M S Namboodiripad and C Achutha Menon — travelled to the USSR for treatment during their time in office. Back then, the country was seen as a trusted destination, both ideologically and diplomatically, especially by left leaders.

However, the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s brought a shift in preferences. The US emerged as the new destination of choice, not only due to its advanced medical infrastructure but also because of the presence of a large number of Keralite doctors in its hospitals.

Among the first to make this transition was Congress leader and former Chief Minister K Karunakaran. After surviving a car accident in the 1990s, Karunakaran was flown to the US for specialised treatment.

In 2000, CPM veteran V S Achuthanandan, who later became the CM in 2006, found himself at the centre of a political storm when he flew to London for medical care. His trip became a key talking point during the UDF’s campaign for the 2001 assembly election.

The Congress-led UDF trod a similar path. Former Chief Minister A K Antony travelled abroad for medical purposes after stepping down as Union defence minister. His successor, Oommen Chandy, too, underwent surgery in Davos, Switzerland, after slipping on snow during a visit to the World Economic Forum (WEF). Chandy sought further treatment in the US and Germany, though not during his tenure as chief minister.