THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The health department has issued an order restraining district-level officers from speaking to the media on crucial public health issues, including Covid management.
The circular issued by Director of Health Services Dr V R Raju makes it mandatory for officers, including the DMOs, to take permission even if they have to share general information on crucial topics.
The department chose to restrain the officers even as it says that several pieces of information that reach the public through various platforms are not credible.
Meanwhile, several health activists have slammed the order saying the department should strive to build confidence and trust of the people by bringing in transparency, instead of imposing curbs on senior officers who are involved in pandemic management.
The health department order comes at a time when the changing pandemic situation -- with the emergence of Omicron variant -- has become a major concern for the people.
Health activists pointed out that the department lacked a single point person who can share credible scientific information about matters affecting public health, other than the briefings by politicians heading the department.
Though the circular is meant for district-level officers, even senior health officials consider it as a message for them as well.
“Ever since the outbreak, the department has been discouraging health officers from interacting with media. In previous health emergency situations, the idea was to share as much information as possible, however negative it may be,” said a health officer.
Lack of transparent communication on the part of the department is considered the biggest impediment that prevents the public as well as epidemiologists from getting credible information.
Even senior members of the Directorate of Health Services and state’s expert committee on Covid management had complained about the lack of access to credible data.
Opposition MLAs have repeatedly asked the government to be more transparent and share information on the pandemic situation with them.
Moreover, it was the public who were affected by the lack of information.
For instance, they faced difficulties in getting proper information when the demand for hospital beds peaked during the Covid second wave.
It can be noticed that the listing of hospital vacancy is not properly updated on the government-managed Covid Jagratha portal.
In the case of Covid deaths, the ground-level assessment of the situation has helped in dispelling the narrative of the government.
The state took efforts to reconcile the deaths previously unaccounted for long after health activists pointed out the lack of transparency in the reporting of deaths. That way, the department has added close to 12,000 deaths in the past 50 days.
“It is a scare tactic to shut the mouth of other government officials. It creates a doubt that the government wants to hide something. Instead, measures should be taken to build confidence through transparency,” said public health activist Dr N M Arun, who championed the demand for more transparent reporting of Covid deaths in the state.
Meanwhile, the doctors’ organisations have reacted cautiously to the circular.
“It is a circular issued at times to remind officers of the service rules. It is true that some reports are not shared to avoid panic situations. However, we will look into the circular if it is serving other than the stated intent,” said Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association president Dr G S Vijayakrishnan.
Indian Medical Association state secretary Dr Joseph Benaven said the organisation has directed its members to exercise caution and make studied response to the media.
“The point is that, if none speaks authoritatively it will lead to speculations,” he said.
Health Minister Veena George and Health secretary Rajan Khobragade did not respond to the calls by TNIE.