Nipah: Govt job for nurse’s husband

Thiruvananthapuram, May 23

With 10 deaths due to the deadly Nipah virus being reported so far from northern Kerala, the state government on Wednesday issued an advisory, asking travellers to avoid visiting the four districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, Waynad and Kannur.

“Travelling to any part of Kerala is safe. However, if travellers wish to be extra cautious, they may avoid the four districts,” Health Secretary Rajeev Sadanandan said.

The government also decided to give a job to nurse Lini’s husband and Rs 10 lakh each to their two sons - aged five and two. The nurse had died attending to Nipah patients at a hospital.  The government has called for an all-party meeting at Kozhikode on May 25 to discuss the issue. MPs, MLAs, other representatives of people and leaders of various political parties would attend the meeting, Health Minister KK Shylaja said.

Ten people have died in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts so far and 19 are undergoing treatment in various hospitals, including one in Waynad. Isolation wards have also been set up in Thalassery government hospital in Kannur, according to media reports.

In Kozhikode, from where seven deaths have been reported, District Collector UV Jose has ordered temporary stoppage of all training programmes and summer camps in affected areas such as Changaroth, Koorachund, Kottur, Cheruvannur, Chekyad, Chakkittapara and Olavanna. The anganwadis is these regions too have been asked to close down to avoid the spread of the virus among children. However, no decision has been taken yet concerning the reopening of schools after the summer vacation. The administration is hoping that the situation will be under control by the time schools reopen after a week.

“The number of newly infected cases is very low now,” Jose said.

In neighbouring Malappuram, where three persons have died, orders have been issued in four panchayats to stop anganwadi classes for the time being. 

A crisis management group has been constituted to coordinate the response of government agencies following the deaths in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. — PTI

UAE entrepreneurs pledge support 

• Two UAE entrepreneurs have offered support to the two sons of a nurse who died after contracting Nipah virus from patients
• The Abu Dhabi-based entrepreneurs also hailed Lini Puthussery for her ‘heroic sacrifice’ in the line of duty
• Santhi Pramot and Jyothi Pallat, executive directors of Avitis Institute of Medical Sciences based in Palakkad, Kerala, said they had pledged to sponsor the education of Lini’s sons