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Health Minister K. Muraleedharan has refuted the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]-led Opposition’s allegations that determination is deficiency of due coordination successful handling the Nipah corruption concern successful Kozhikode.
Addressing a property league astatine the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Kozhikode, connected Sunday (June 14, 2026), helium besides trained his guns connected K.J. Reena, erstwhile Director of Health Services (DHS), whose caller transportation to the determination nationalist wellness laboratory, Ernakulam, had kicked up a row.
The Opposition had alleged that the Health Minister had not bothered to campy successful Kozhikode to oversee the ongoing activities. Mr. Muraleedharan said that determination was nary request for him to beryllium contiguous successful the metropolis arsenic helium could coordinate with elder Health officials sitting successful Thiruvananthapuram arsenic well. The contiguous concern did not warrant declaration of a containment portion successful Ramanattukara, the autochthonal spot of the 43-year-old patient. There was nary origin for interest arsenic the laboratory results of 29 of the 30 samples had turned retired to beryllium antagonistic for the virus. There were nary caller cases either.
In superior condition
However, the infected idiosyncratic was successful a superior information erstwhile helium was admitted to the MCH. Efforts had been taken to supply medicines connected time. Antiviral cause ribavirin had been fixed from the archetypal time itself. “Another drug, remdesivir, was procured from Bahrain and was administered today,” Mr. Muraleedharan said.
Referring to Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan’s criticisms against his absence, the Minister said that Mr. Vijayan had chaired a Cabinet gathering online portion helium was undergoing aesculapian attraction successful the U.S.
Ex-DHS' fault, not Collector's
Meanwhile, Mr. Muraleedharan besides accused Dr. Reena of not communicating to him connected clip the laboratory results from the National Institute of Virology, Pune, confirming the Nipah infection, connected June 11 afternoon. That was wherefore helium feigned ignorance astir the trial effect during the evening property meet. However, M.S. Madhavikutty, Kozhikode District Collector, was unaware of this erstwhile she subsequently told the media that the trial results were positive.
“The responsibility does not prevarication with the Collector, but Dr. Reena who did not walk connected the accusation to maine successful the afternoon... She is not cooperating with the government. That was 1 of the reasons wherefore she was transferred out. It is the discretion of the authorities whether to clasp an authoritative successful 1 station oregon not,” Mr. Muraleedharan said.
On shigella infection
The Minister said that 135 shigellosis cases had been confirmed successful the State since January 1, 2026. Of them, 68 were successful Kozhikode, 16 successful Wayanad, 14 successful Thiruvananthapuram, 13 successful Malappuram, six each successful Kollam and Alappuzha, 4 successful Thrissur, 3 successful Idukki, 2 each successful Ernakulam and Kannur and 1 successful Kottayam. Three deaths excessively had been reported, 2 of which were successful Kozhikode. Four children are undergoing attraction and the information of 2 is serious, helium said.
Cholera lawsuit successful Palakkad
Mr. Muraleedharan besides said that the District Medical Officer successful Palakkad had been warned for reportedly claiming that determination were nary cholera cases successful Palakkad earlier the results of the civilization trial to corroborate the beingness of the bacteria were made available.
