THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 47-year-old Thrissur native became this year’s first casualty of the West Nile fever, transmitted by mosquitoes, in the state on Sunday. The death of Joby Puthenpurayil, a native of Puthur in Thrissur's Pananchery panchayat created a flutter with the bereaved family alleging negligence by a private hospital as the reason for his death.
Meanwhile, the state government sounded an alert and strengthened vector control measures in Pananchery. Health Minister Veena George, who convened a review meeting in the wake of Joby's death, said other districts have also been asked to stay alert.
"There is no need for concern. West Nile fever is similar to Japanese Encephalitis, though the latter is considered more serious," she said. Japanese Encephalitis is a viral brain fever, also spread by mosquitoes. Veena urged people having fever to take immediate care.
Joby had been under treatment for 26 days in Sun Hospital in Thrissur before being moved to the general hospital and then to the Medical College Hospital (MCH) on May 18, where he breathed his last. He was first hospitalised on April 19 with severe fever.
His brother Jimmy Puthenpurayil said they took him to the cooperative hospital in Thrissur, but shifted him to Sun Hospital the next day. "The hospital authorities said he had suffered a stroke. Though they took his MRI and CT scan twice, they could not diagnose the disease. He was kept in the ICU and even put on ventilator support. That was when we compelled the hospital to discharge him," alleged Jimmy.
He was taken to the general hospital and later to the MCH where his blood samples were taken and sent to Alappuzha for tests. "Joby had walked to the vehicle without any support when we first took him to the hospital. We are shocked that he is no more," said Jimmy. He alleged the private hospital charged Rs 8.5 lakh despite failing to diagnose the disease.
"They kept giving him medicines for a disease he did not have. We are yet to decide whether we should move legally against the private hospital or not," Jimmy alleged.
West Nile: Blood samples of public sent for analysis
Jimmy said they did not want any other family to have the same bitter experience. A daily wage worker, Joby is survived by his wife and two children. Soon after the fever was confirmed, health officials visited Joby’s native place Kannara and initiated precautionary measures.
The district vector control unit collected blood samples of people in the area and sent them for tests. Workers of the community health centre at Vellanikkara were directed to conduct field work, vector control measures, fever survey, awareness classes.
"The health department has taken precautionary steps considering the spread of communicable diseases due to climate change. Implementing vector control is important to keep West Nile fever in check," said Health Minister Veena George.