Tito Thomas, Malayali nurse in vegetative state for two years following Nipah, discharged from Kozhikode hospital

KOZHIKODE: A Mangalore native nurse, who was in a vegetative state for two years after contracting Nipah while caring for a patient in Kozhikode, was discharged from the hospital on Friday. Tito Thomas, a native of Mangalore, moved to a rented house in Kozhikode prepared by the hospital authorities. Encephalitis caused by Nipah infection left Tito in a coma for all these two years.

Tito, belonging to a Malayali family in Mangalore, completed his nursing studies and joined Iqraa International Hospital in Kozhikode two years ago. In 2023, Tito was assigned to take care of a Maruthonkara native who reached the hospital with severe fever. The patient died after a few days while undergoing treatment, and test results proved that he had Nipah. Tito also became infected later. Tito fell into a coma on December 2, 2023, after being diagnosed with latent encephalitis caused by Nipah. Tito spent two years at Iqraa Hospital. His father, a daily wage worker, stopped going to work to be with his son for these two years.

The hospital authorities have spent more than Rs 80 lakh on his treatment so far. Finally, Tito was shifted to a nearby rented house at the request of the family. The hospital staff is also helping them. The family was allocated Rs 17 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. The Trained Nurses Association of India is also assisting Tito.