Youth are collapsing and dying but government is not looking into its cause or not taking action: Opposition leader VD Satheesan

KOCHI: The death of a child due to Nipah is sad news and an ominous sign that none of the infectious diseases have left Kerala, said Opposition leader VD Satheesan. "This is why the opposition brought the issue of the spread of infectious diseases and deterioration of Kerala's public health to dangerous levels in the assembly. However, there was no positive response from the government," he alleged. The Opposition leader was talking to the media in Kochi.

"The minister said things including getting awards. The main reason why Kerala's public health is in a dangerous state is that garbage removal has stopped. Kerala is suffering from a lack of pre-monsoon cleaning. There is no preventive measure to prevent diseases."

"All diseases including covid are present in Kerala. No data collection or testing is being done. Nipah has also been confirmed along with COVID, malaria, cholera, shigella and jaundice. There are some dangerous warnings regarding public health in Kerala. Urgent action should be taken to prevent the spread of deadly diseases by coordinating all departments. This is not being said to blame the government. The government should be ready to take action. Everyone should follow the instructions of the health department."

"Despite the serious increase in the death rate in Kerala after Covid, the government did not conduct any study on it. The government does not have any data. People including youngsters are collapsing and dying. The government is not investigating what is the reason for this. The minister responds as if to the enemies when asked about this. It is the duty of the opposition to point out the mistakes. The government is not taking any steps understanding the danger of the current situation."

"UDF will organize a public health conclave involving experts in the field to understand the risk situation in the field of public health. Discussions for this have started. After the Opposition pointed out in the Legislative Assembly that Kerala's public health is in a dangerous state, Dr B Ekbal, a left supporter, shared similar concerns. Dr SS Lal has also said the same thing. The Opposition presented this issue in the Legislative Assembly after discussions with experts," said VD Satheesan.