Malayalam movie actor Babu Antony today (30 January) took to Facebook and posted pictures of him meeting CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan who is currently undergoing a treatment in a hospital in United States’ Houston. His wife Vinodini has accompanied him.

The powerful apparatchik, who is known to be a close associate of Kerala Chief Minister (CM) Pinarayi Vijayan, has been undergoing treatment at a hospital in Houston since last October. He had briefly returned to Kerala in December and continued his treatment in an upscale Thiruvananthapuram hospital. He later returned to Houston for follow up treatment.

Over the past few months, Kodiyeri has maintained a low profile and is playing a reduced role in party affairs due to health issues.

In 2018, CM Pinarayi Vijayan underwent a 17-day-treatment in Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in the United States for an undisclosed ailment.

Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala of Congress had then alleged that flood relief works being carried out in the state was hit badly because CM Pinarayi Vijayan went away to the US without giving charge of the state to another minister.

CPM has often touted Cuba as the model to be followed for best practices in healthcare. CM Pinarayi Vijayan had even announced that Kerala was exploring possibilities of getting its doctors trained in Cuba. CM Pinarayi Vijayan had advocated utilising Cuba's expertise in the health sector. CM Pinarayi Vijayan also often hailed Cuba’s achievements in health care and medical education.