Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has secured the highest slot in NITI Aayog's Health Index and not without cause. The vigilante excercised by the state's health department during the Nipah scare and its intervention in individual health problems which require immediate attention is exemplary.

Young Sona Mol from Thrissur is the latest beneficiary of the government's health schemes. She regained her eyesight thanks to the health depatment's timely intervention.

She had lost her vision after a condition named ‘toxic epidermal necrolysis’ (TEN) affected her. Sona and her parents met health minister K K Shailaja and thanked her for the support offered by the authorities. Sona will now return to school.

A one-month-long treatment at L V Prasad Hospital in Hyderabad that brought the light back to Sona’s eyes. She is now continuing the follow-up treatment at Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (RIO) in Thiruvananthapuram.

Photos and news highlighting Sona's health condition had gone viral on the social media leading to an intense online discussion. When the developments came to the Minister;s notice, she directed the Kerala Social Security Mission of the government to take up the youngster’s treatment under its ‘We - Care’ project.

The little girl was earlier admitted to the Jubilee Medical College Hospital in Thrissur for treatment of epilepsy. While an inpatient there, she developed TEN and was shifted Thrissur Government Medical College Hospital.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis or TEN, is a rare drug-induced, life-threatening skin disease. Severe conjunctivitis and potential blindness is one among the many symptoms of the illness.

At the Thrissur medical college, a team under Dr Purushothaman, head of Paediatrics Department, found that Sona was rapidly losing her sight.

Learning about the matter, Shailaja directed officials to take any step that was deemed necessary to help Sona regain her vision. Subsequently, Thrissur Collector T V Anupama, Social Security Mission Director Dr Muhammed Asheel and Dr Purushothman contacted various hospitals across India. Finally, it was decided to refer Sona to L V Prasad Hospital in Hyderabad, a well-known centre for curing eye-related ailments.

The doctors at Hyderabad hospital instructed the authorities in Kerala to bring Sona to Hyderabad at the earliest. Since, Sona was to travel to on the day of the renowned Thrissur ‘pooram’, she was escorted to the airport by the police to enable her to travel to Hyderabad. Dr U R Rahul accompanied Sona to Hyderabad.

Sona was under treatment at the hospital, for nearly a month where she regained her eyesight that she lost for almost 40 days. Her follow-ups are taking place at RIO, Thiruvananthapuram. Sona travelled again to Hyderabad last week for a surgery. She was also subjected to various tests and certified to have achieved normal vision.

All expenses for Sona’s treatment, including the flight fare, accommodation in Hyderabad and others were met by the Social Security Mission.