Kerala fever outbreak: 420 deaths since January, 22 lakh people affected
- Health minister KK Shylaja informed the state Assembly that of the 420 deaths, 74 people died due to H1N1 and 24 persons to dengue
- However, the Congress disputed the official figures on people affected by fever and deaths caused
- Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the government had failed to take up any pre-monsoon sanitation drive and that led to the spurt in fever
FollowThe Kerala government on Thursday said 420 persons died and over 22 lakh people were affected by various kinds of fevers in the state since January.Â
Health minister KK Shylaja informed the state Assembly that of the total deaths due to fever, 74 people died due to H1N1 and 24 persons to dengue.Â
Replying to a notice seeking adjournment motion by Congress-led UDF opposition over the issue, she said climate change and unprecedented variations in temperature level were among reasons that caused the fever to spread.Â
"As per government figures, over 22 lakh people have been affected by viral fever in the state during the period. As many as 420 people succumbed to fever across the state," PTI quoted her as saying. But with effective steps taken, things are now under control, the minister stressed.Â
Shylaja said that besides H1N1 and dengue, rat fever and cholera have also been reported in the state. A cholera death was reported in Pathanamthitta district and three cholera cases had been detected among migrant labourers in Kozhikode. However, no case of monkey fever, which used to be prevalent during the monsoon season in earlier years, was reported in Kerala this year, she added.Â
However, disputing the official figures on people affected by fever and deaths caused, Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan alleged that over 1,000 people had died and a whopping 50 lakh people had sought treatment for fever in various hospitals in the state.Â
The situation in the state was so grave that it even warranted the declaration of "health emergency", UDF members said and walked out of the House when Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan declined leave for debate over the issue.Â
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the government had failed to take up any pre-monsoon sanitation drive and that led to the spurt in fever cases in the state.Â
"Health Emergency should be declared in the state as the situation is grave," Chennithala said. If necessary, the state should seek the assistance of medical experts from the Centre to tackle the situation, he added.
