After the outbreak of Nipah virus infection was declared in the State, the government authorities have been cautious while releasing information related to the issue so as not to create panic among the people. However, a couple of minor flip-flops of late stood out.
News channels and a few online publications had reported on Saturday that restrictions had been imposed on the admission of patients to the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, where the affected are being treated. It was reported that a decision had been taken to discharge all those undergoing treatment other than emergency cases.
The entry to the hospital too would only be for emergency cases and there was a proposal to restrict delivery cases at the Institute of Maternal and Child Health, the reports claimed. Later, when mediapersons asked V.R. Rajendran, college Principal, about the issue, he clarified that there were no restrictions on cases referred from other hospitals.
Problem with figures
Social media users were taken aback later when the official Facebook page of Health Minister K.K. Shylaja came up with a post saying that the presence of the virus had been confirmed in 25 people across the State. As per the Health Department’s claims, the total number of confirmed cases then was 15. When the mistake was pointed out, the post was immediately removed. On Sunday afternoon, the Public Relations Department issued a release cautioning relatives and close contacts of the affected persons from Kozhikode district against attending a prominent religious festival in a nearby district. It was cancelled within half-an-hour.
