The government has also decided to offer a job to Lini's husband, who works in the Middle East.Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Wednesday announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of people who died due to Nipah fever.
The children of Lini, the nurse who died after contracting the viral disease while attending to infected people, will be given Rs 10 lakh each. The government has also decided to offer a job to her husband Sajeesh, who works in the Middle East. Of the amounts sanctioned for Lini's children, Rs 5 lakh each will be deposited in their bank accounts. The remaining Rs 5 lakh each will be deposited in such a manner that the interest amounts can be utilised by the guardian for the needs of the children.
As Sajeesh struggles to come to terms with the loss, he gathered himself to thank the government for this gesture.
Health minister KK Shylaja said that government has procured antiviral medication, Ribavirin, to counter the disease. This is the only medicine that has been able to curb the virus, she added.
It is feared that the viral fever has its origin from bats that were found in an unused well belonging to a Perambra family who became the first victims of the deadly infection.
The minister also appealed to the public not to destroy the habitats of bats and not to fear the mammal.
Death toll
The death toll in the deadly Nipah virus sweep in Kerala has touched 11 with suspected cases being reported from Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Kannur.
As many as 22 people are undergoing treatment at various hospitals in Kozhikode and Malappuram. Two of them continue to be in a critical state.
Anganwadis in the affected panchayats of Malappuram have been temporarily shut. An alert has been sounded in Kannur after Nadapuram native Ashokan succumbed to Nipah at the Thalassery Cooperative Hospital. The nurse who attended to Ashokan is also suffering from fever, prompting the authorities to take precautions.
An all-party meeting will be held here on May 25 to take stock of the situation arising out of the Nipah fever outbreak in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts.
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