Kozhikode: Even as doctors battle to save a Nipah-infected patient at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, a political confrontation has erupted in Kerala, with the ruling party and opposition accusing each other of failing to respond adequately to the public health threat.

The political storm intensified after Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan launched an attack on the Health Department, alleging that the government was not treating the Nipah outbreak with the seriousness it required. Describing the situation as "highly deplorable", Vijayan claimed there was a glaring lack of coordination within the Health Department and questioned the absence of Health Minister K Muraleedharan from the district.

"The Health Minister neither visited the affected area nor intervened effectively. There has been no vigilant and proactive response from the government," Vijayan charged

Adding to the pressure on the government, former minister and Beypore MLA P A Mohammed Riyas urged Muraleedharan to immediately camp in Kozhikode and personally coordinate containment efforts. Riyas said he had conveyed the demand directly to the minister over the phone after learning that a young man from Ramanattukara had tested positive for the deadly virus.

According to Riyas, the government's foremost responsibility was to ensure the patient's survival while simultaneously calming public fears through effective communication and visible leadership. Drawing comparisons with previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) administrations, Riyas said whenever Nipah cases were reported in the past, the then Health Minister had rushed to the district on the Chief Minister's instructions and directly supervised containment measures.

"The minister in charge of the district also led the operations on the ground. Those interventions united health workers, district officials, people's representatives and the public, giving momentum and efficiency to containment efforts," he said.

Riyas also staged a protest in front of the Nipah control room in Kozhikode, alleging that health authorities were unwilling to share details regarding containment measures with him. The criticism was echoed by CPM Kozhikode district secretary M Mehboob, who alleged that Nipah containment activities in the district were in complete disarray. He claimed that when Riyas personally visited the District Medical Office seeking details of people under quarantine, officials were unable to provide information.

Mehboob also alleged that residents in affected areas were living in fear and uncertainty and that those under quarantine had not received preventive medicines, PPE kits or masks.

"The Health Department is handling the situation irresponsibly. Either the Health Minister or the minister in charge of the district should take direct responsibility for coordinating the response," Mehboob demanded.

The political confrontation related to the Nipah crisis began after remarks made by Health Minister K Muraleedharan during a Nipah outbreak in 2021 under the previous LDF government resurfaced on social media. Left-leaning social media activists widely circulated the statement, accusing the minister.

"If an incompetent person governs a state, the state will suffer. Diseases that we had never even heard of before are emerging. They say Nipah is spread by bats. Were there no bats in Kerala when K. Karunakaran, A K Antony and Oommen Chandy governed the state? The disease is spreading now because those in power are not governing properly," Muraleedharan had said in 2021 while criticising the then LDF government.

The remarks triggered renewed debate online after a fresh Nipah case was confirmed in Kozhikode, with many users mocking the statement and questioning the minister's current position.

Responding to the controversy, former Health Minister K K Shailaja said infectious diseases such as Nipah and COVID-19 did not emerge based on which political party was in power.

"Infectious diseases do not arrive after checking who is governing. Muraleedharan's old remarks were due to a lack of understanding of the situation. However, it is the responsibility of those in power to confront and manage them," she said.

Shailaja added that disease outbreaks should be addressed collectively beyond party politics. She noted that while the Kerala government's efforts to contain Nipah had received global appreciation at the time, many political opponents had chosen to ridicule those efforts.

Former Health Minister Veena George also referred to Muraleedharan's earlier remarks, saying, "Let time judge what was right and what was wrong."

The government, however, strongly rejected the opposition's allegations related to Nipah. Responding to the criticism, Health Minister K Muraleedharan accused the opposition of attempting to politicise a sensitive public health issue. He insisted that the government had not failed in handling the situation and maintained that Nipah had not spread beyond the confirmed case so far.

"The opposition is merely using the issue as a political weapon. Nipah has not spread and the current criticism should be seen as political opposition," Muraleedharan said.

Defending his decision not to remain stationed in Kozhikode, the minister said he was present when the case was reported and that his responsibility extended to overseeing the entire state's preparedness.

"The disease has the potential to spread anywhere. That is why I convened meetings of senior officials and monitored the situation at the state level," he said.

Responding to criticism over his 2021 remarks, Muraleedharan said the comments had been made in his capacity as a leader of the opposition party and should be viewed in that political context.

Amid the escalating political exchanges, health authorities continue to focus on containment measures. Three individuals currently under quarantine have been admitted to the hospital for observation, and their samples have been sent for testing.

The 43-year-old patient from the Farook College area, who remains in critical condition, has been administered the first dose of monoclonal antibody therapy as per Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines and recommendations of the medical board.

Health officials on Friday added 10 more individuals to the contact-tracing list, taking the total number of identified contacts to 87. Of them, four are categorised as highest-risk contacts, 16 as high-risk and 67 as low-risk.