Kerala Health Minister denies Nipah outbreak, accuses Opposition of politicizing health situation

Kerala Health Minister K. Muraleedharan on Saturday dismissed claims of a Nipah virus outbreak, stating that there is no spread of the virus in the state. He also accused the Opposition of using the situation as a political weapon.

Speaking to the media in Thiruvananthapuram, Muraleedharan said that there is currently only one active Nipah patient undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital. The 43-year-old patient remains on ventilator support, and his condition is stable, he added.

Advertisement

“There is currently no cause for concern regarding Nipah. The test results of three individuals in the high-risk contact category have come back negative for the Nipah virus,” the minister said.

The Health Minister also rejected allegations of a shortage of essential medicines related to Nipah treatment at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. He said that all necessary medicines were available, except for a specific antiviral drug that is yet to arrive.

According to Muraleedharan, the stock of the antiviral drug available in Chennai had expired. Consequently, fresh supplies are being transported from Delhi and are expected to reach the hospital shortly.

Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan had alleged that there was a shortage of essential medicines at a time when a Nipah patient was undergoing treatment in critical condition on ventilator support. He also criticized the Health Minister for not leading the response efforts directly from the affected Kozhikode district.

Responding to the criticism, Muraleedharan said that he had personally visited Kozhikode immediately after the initial case was reported and had issued all necessary instructions to the concerned authorities. He maintained that his presence in the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram, is essential for coordinating statewide monitoring, conducting high-level official meetings, and ensuring that the virus does not spread to other districts.

The minister further stated that the Revenue Minister is stationed in Kozhikode to oversee on-ground preventive measures and coordinate the local response.

This version corrects grammar, punctuation, capitalization, tense consistency, and news-style formatting while retaining the original meaning and tone.