Kerala CM Welcomes Kafeel Khan’s Offer to Serve in Nipah-Hit Areas
Dr Kafeel Khan received bail after serving seven months in jail over the infant-death tragedy in Gorakhpur.
Dr Kafeel Khan, a pediatrician from Uttar Pradesh, who was infamously embroiled in a clash with the Yogi government over the infant deaths in Gorakhpur Hospital, has volunteered his services in the regions affected by the Nipah virus in Kerala.
Khan was in charge of the encephalitis ward at the BRD Medical College where 65 infants died at the in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur due to a shortage in oxygen supply in August last year.
In a Facebook post addressing the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the doctor, who was recently released on bail after serving eight months in jail, said that he was greatly disturbed by the rising number of deaths caused due to the virus. He hailed the efforts of nurse Lini Puthussery, and said that he was “more than willing” to sacrifice his own life in order to help those suffering from the deadly virus.
Lini Puthussery, one of the three nurses who had fallen sick after tending to the patients diagnosed with the Nipah virus in Kerala, had passed away on Monday, 21 May.
Vijayan Welcomes Kafeel to Kerala
In response, the Chief Minister “welcomed” his requested and said that the government of Kerala was more than happy to invite all medical professionals, such as Khan, to help serve in the affected regions of the state.
In the Facebook post, he said:
As per his post, the Chief Minister also said that the medical professionals who wish to offer their services in the state should either contact the Directorate of Health Services or Calicut Medical College Superintendent, to process their requests.
In a separate Facebook post, he also honored the efforts of Lini Puthussery, the nurse who had lost her life while tending to the care of the virus-inflicted patients.
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