Amoebic Meningoencephalitis: Opposition calls health dept a complete failure

Thiruvananthapuram: As Kerala reported 19 deaths due to amoebic meningoencephalitis, the Congress-led opposition on Wednesday moved an adjournment motion in the Assembly seeking a discussion on the infectious disease. IUML leader N Shamusdeen said that the state’s health department had become a complete failure in preventing the disease. He also accused the government of hiding data related to cases and deaths.

“On Thursday, Palakkad also reported a fresh case of the disease. Kozhikode and Malappuram districts were the first to confirm cases. Still, the health department cannot ascertain the source of infection. They are clueless as to why the disease is spreading rapidly in the state,” he said.

He noted that the public is worried about the outbreak. "Three days ago, the health department released data on the rare disease. According to the government, 19 people have died due to amoebic meningoencephalitis, while 66 people have contracted the infection. However, the government has yet to release the original data. Like in many other cases, the government is concealing the truth. This stance poses a serious challenge to the public,” the MLA said during the discussion on the adjournment motion.

At present, 11 patients are undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital after testing positive for the disease.