Health Minister Veena George has sought the help of political parties in leading the preventive measures against Nipah.
At an all-party meeting in Kozhikode on Wednesday, the Minister said that parties could play a key role in creating general vigil and awareness among the public in the backdrop of both Nipah and COVID.
She said that fake news was making rounds due to the lack of awareness about the diseases. Warning the people against attacking bats due to some misunderstandings about them, she urged party activists to prevent large gatherings.
Public Works Minister P.A.Mohammed Riyas said that there were several misconceptions about Nipah and that people were hesitant to admit it when they showed symptoms of any disease. He said that the local people were cooperating well with the preventive measures.
District Collector N.Tej Lohit Reddy and District Medical Officer V.Jayasree took part in the online meeting.
Directives issued
Later in the day, Ms. George visited the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, and directed the authorities there to take precautions to avoid infection among healthcare workers.
She told the officials to hold a meeting of the hospital medical board on the treatment of people symptomatic of Nipah infection and submit a report to the State Medical Board.
Ms. George said that the treatment of COVID, non-COVID, and Nipah infections should be taken forward simultaneously. She also held talks with experts from the National Institute of Virology, Pune, and its unit at Alappuzha. She inspected the functioning of the special lab facility set up at the hospital to test samples of suspected patients after the death of a 12-year-old boy due to Nipah infection.
At another special meeting to discuss the development of the medical college hospital, the Minister gave instructions to strengthen the cardiology department. Steps should be taken to operate the cath lab round-the-clock.
Priority should be given to organ transplant surgeries and a mechanism for liver transplant should be installed soon, she instructed.
