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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The "brain-eating" parasitic corruption amoebic meningoencephalitis has killed a three-month-old, a 52-year-old, and 17 others crossed Kerala this year. On Wednesday, grief turned into fury successful the assembly, wherever absorption accused LDF authorities of presiding implicit a wellness strategy successful escaped fall.Congress-led UDF moved an adjournment motion, saying 19 radical had died this twelvemonth from the uncommon infection, including Lathakumari of Thiruvananthapuram past week. The announcement charged the authorities with ignoring consciousness campaigns astatine section level, wherever those exposed to stagnant h2o are astir astatine risk. It besides flagged rising cases of jaundice, dengue, leptospirosis, typhoid and diarrhoeal diseases - calling the concern a "collapse of nationalist wellness management".Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis is rare. Globally, less than 500 cases person ever been reported. Yet Kerala has seen implicit 120 truthful far, including 68 this year. Infection occurs erstwhile contaminated freshwater enters the nose, letting the amoeba scope the encephalon done the sinus and destruct tissue.On Sept 1, an babe and a pistillate died portion nether attraction astatine Kozhikode Govt Medical College Hospital. "We are providing the champion imaginable treatment, including the imported cause miltefosine," main KG Sajeeth Kumar had said, adding that some were infected by the aforesaid Naegleria fowleri strain.
Govt has launched Jalamanu Jeevan (water is life), a statewide chlorination thrust covering wells, swimming pools and tanks.Congress' VD Satheesan lashed out: "Eight radical died successful 15 days. What is the protocol? What are radical expected to do? Even a babe was infected - was that kid successful a swimming pool?"Health curate Veena George deed backmost with a data-heavy defence, calling the charges a smear. "Congress is trying to tally down wellness sector. They accidental attraction extracurricular govt hospitals is cheaper-who are they helping?"She highlighted Kerala's gains: babe mortality down from 12 during UDF's tenure to 5 today; liver transplants palmy and escaped astatine Kottayam MCH; 13 territory hospitals equipped with cath labs.
She cited situation response: "When Nipah, with 70% fatality rate, struck, we brought it down to 33%." But her repeated comparisons with UDF's grounds from a decennary agone rang hollow to critics.Satheesan accused George of dodging accountability: "Kerala's wellness is connected a ventilator, yet the curate hides down aged numbers. From Rs 5,419 successful 2016-17, per capita out-of-pocket wellness disbursal has risen to Rs 7,889 Instead of acting, authorities govt reacts aft lives are lost."
