Medical practitioners and institutions should try their best to reduce the cost of treatment by cost effective medicines, Kerala Governor, (Justice) P Sathasivam has said.

Sathasivam was speaking after presenting the Golden Award of Encyclopaedia of Gastroenterology to leading laparoscopy surgeon and Chairman of Gem Hospital, Dr C Palanivelu for his contribution in the medical field, last night here.

“We are now now seeing a shift from household-acquired water borne infection to community acquired food-borne diseases like hepatitis and Typhoid,” he said.

In view of this shift in large scale, doctors should take the responsibility of managing medical waste in order to curb spreading of diseases, he said.

“I congratulate Dr. Palanivelu on his achievements and the patrons who have decided to confer him with the award,” Sathasivam said.

Accepting the award, Palanivelu narrated his sojourn to become one of the “celebrities” across the world in this particular filed.

It was a proud moment to become the chairman of a hospital having risen from the family of a farmer in a remote village, Palanivelu said.

The award was given by over 10 organisations, representing industry, cultural and social activities, under the banner Patriot.