Kerala Govt Withholding Data Amid Rising Fever Cases?

7/4/2024 12:00:14 AM

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Thiruvananthapuram: Despite a rise in the number of people suffering from fever in Kerala, the government has not been releasing the latest figures. For the past three days, the health department has withheld epidemic statistics. The most recent data on infections in the state was published on June 30. Previously, the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) website provided daily updates on disease incidence.

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However, there have been no updates on the website for the past three days, despite there being no technical issues. No official explanation has been provided for the lack of publication. In June, cases of H1N1, dengue, and rat fever were on the rise. Currently, only figures up to the end of last month are available on the website. Authorities have not explained the delay in releasing the figures for July.

The concealment of figures has become a significant topic of discussion in the state, including in the assembly, amid the epidemic's spread. In June, H1N1 cases increased four times and dengue cases doubled compared to May. The health department's assessment indicates a potential sharp increase in disease cases in July.

Health Minister Veena George assured the Assembly on Tuesday that the state's fever situation was completely under control. She criticized the Congress-led opposition UDF for raising unfounded concerns.

She stated that the number of fever cases in the first half of this year was 12.02 lakh, down from 13.1 lakh during the same period in 2015 when the Congress-led UDF was in power. Furthermore, the dengue fatality rate had declined to 0.25 per cent in 2024, compared to 0.34 per cent in 2015.

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