Kozhikode (Kerala) | Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan on Sunday said no fresh Nipah cases have been reported in the state and defended the government's handling of the outbreak.
He also said public panic was unwarranted.
Speaking to reporters after a review meeting on the Nipah situation, the minister said the lone Nipah patient had been administered Ribavirin, monoclonal antibody treatment and Remdesivir.
“The first dose of the monoclonal antibody was administered on June 12. As Remdesivir was not available anywhere in India, our officers took the initiative to procure it from Bahrain. The medicine arrived in Delhi and was flown to Kannur. The first dose was administered to the patient early this morning,” he said.
Muraleedharan said no fresh Nipah cases had been detected so far.
Eleven symptomatic persons on the contact list were tested and all returned negative results, he said.
According to the minister, 100 people are currently on the contact list, including four in the highest-risk category, 14 in the high-risk category and 82 in the low-risk category. Of them, 44 are healthcare workers.
A total of 30 tests have been conducted so far, of which 29 were negative, with only the index patient testing positive.
The minister said a survey covering 370 households and 1,047 people in Ward 5 of Ramanattukara municipality found no one with Nipah symptoms.
Local self-government institutions are delivering food and other essentials to people under observation, he added.
The patient was admitted in a critical condition and doctors were continuing efforts to save his life.
The minister also provided an update on Shigella infections, saying 135 cases had been confirmed in Kerala since January 1.
Of these, 68 were reported in Kozhikode, 16 in Wayanad, 14 in Palakkad, 13 in Malappuram, six each in Kollam and Alappuzha, four in Thrissur, three in Idukki, two each in Ernakulam and Kannur and one in Kottayam.
Three deaths linked to the infection have been reported, all in Kozhikode district, including two children aged three and four and a 59-year-old woman.
Four children are currently undergoing treatment in intensive care units and the condition of two of them remains serious, he said.
The minister said the government was continuing preventive measures under the 'Stop Diarrhoea Campaign' across the state. ORS packets, zinc tablets and other medicines have been made available while chlorination of water sources and awareness campaigns have been intensified.
Muraleedharan rejected criticism that the government had failed to ensure the availability of medicines for Nipah treatment.
“The patient was started on Ribavirin on the day of admission itself. We were initially informed that Remdesivir was available in Chennai, but it was later found to be out of stock there as well,” he said.
Preliminary information suggested that the drug had not been procured in India since 2021, although a detailed inquiry had been ordered, he added.
Responding to criticism that he had not camped in Kozhikode as health ministers had done during previous outbreaks, Muraleedharan said the situation did not warrant such a move.
“Had more positive cases emerged, I would have returned immediately. With only one confirmed case, coordinating operations from Thiruvananthapuram was more practical as all senior health officials are stationed there,” he said.
The minister said he had conducted video conferences with the Kozhikode District Collector and was monitoring the situation continuously.
Muraleedharan acknowledged that there had been communication gaps within the department and referred to the controversy surrounding the transfer of the Director of Health Services (DHS).
He alleged that the Nipah test result received by the DHS on June 11 was not immediately communicated to him.
“How can a minister announce a result without officially receiving it? I later learned that the result had reached the DHS earlier in the day, but I was informed only later,” he said.
Rejecting suggestions of differences between him and the Health Department, Muraleedharan praised healthcare workers for their efforts.
“Everyone in the department, from doctors to cleaning staff, is cooperating sincerely. I have affection, respect and gratitude towards all of them,” he said.
Asked about the transfer of the DHS, Muraleedharan said the decision was taken on administrative grounds and that the government was not satisfied with the officer's level of cooperation.
“The decision on whether the DHS should continue or be replaced rests with the government. We do not need a DHS, who does not fully cooperate with the government,” he said.
He noted that the officer now holding charge had previously served as DHS under the previous government and said the administration had exercised the same authority in making the change.
Those aggrieved by the decision were free to approach the courts, he added.
Responding to criticism by opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan over his absence from Kozhikode during the outbreak, Muraleedharan said he was surprised by the remarks.
“When he was Chief Minister, he chaired a Cabinet meeting from the United States,” the minister said.
