PATHANAMTHITTA: Health Minister Veena George has assured full government support, including legal assistance, to the family of Ranjitha G Nair, a nurse from Pullad, Pathanamthitta, who lost her life in the Air India Boeing crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The minister, who cut short her by-election campaign in Malappuram to visit the grieving family, met Ranjitha’s elderly mother, Thulasi, who is battling cancer, and her two children, Induchoodan and Idhika.
“This is a devastating loss for the family. The government will stand by them in every possible way,” said Veena George during her visit.
Ranjitha, who had been on leave from her post as a nursing officer at Kozhencherry District Hospital to work abroad, was the sole breadwinner for her family.
According to the minister, the victim’s body will be handed over after a possible DNA identification in Ahmedabad. Veena George assured that efforts were being made to expedite the process and bring the body home as soon as possible.
Facilities will also be provided for Ranjitha’s siblings to travel to Ahmedabad to complete the necessary procedures, she said.
“We are coordinating with the authorities of Ahmedabad in a state-level way. Also, we are in touch with the Air India management to ensure there is no delay in the process,” she added.
While talking to the media, in response to a question regarding the derogatory social media post against Ranjitha by a Deputy Tehsildar from Kasaragod, the minister termed it as an “inhuman” act.
“The society is seriously watching the incident, and such things will not be tolerated,” she said.
MLA K.U. Janeesh Kumar accompanied the minister during the visit. Veena George further assured that the family’s immediate and long-term needs would be addressed by the government.
Ranjitha Gopkumaran Nair (39), a nurse from Pathanamthitta, was among the victims of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Ranjitha, who had worked as a nurse in Salalah, Oman, and later in the UK, was on the cusp of fulfilling her life’s aspirations.
She had been working in the UK for the past eight months and returned to India recently to complete the formalities for renewing the government job she held in Kerala.
After completing the paperwork for her government job, she was returning to the UK when the tragedy struck.
