E-Paper
Goa sees red at Kerala health minister’s wrong reference in BBC interview
The Kerala health minister who is fondly referred to as Shailaja Teacher, has, however, admitted her mistake in saying ‘Goa’ instead of Mahé a Union Territory surrounded by Kerala and under the jurisdiction of Puducherry.
Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja’s claim during an interview with the BBC that a patient from Goa had to be treated in her state owing to poor facilities here drew a sharp retort from chief minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday.
The Kerala Health Minister who is fondly referred to as Shailaja Teacher, has, however, admitted her mistake in saying ‘Goa’ instead of Mahé a Union Territory surrounded by Kerala and under the jurisdiction of Puducherry.
“I am appalled by the factually incorrect statements of Kerala Health Minister K. K. Shailaja Ji during her interview with the BBC regarding the death in Kerala of a Covid positive patient from Goa. The said patient to our knowledge and as confirmed by Kerala IDSP team is not from Goa and has not travelled from here for lack of health facilities,” Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant tweeted a rebuttal.
“Goa has outstanding healthcare facilities with Goa Medical College being one of the oldest and finest medical colleges in Asia. For decades, we have been treating a large number of non Goan patients, especially from our neighbouring states for different ailments. I also want to inform you Madam that Goa is a full-fledged State and not a Union Territory,” Sawant added.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane also took to Twitter to remind the Kerala minister that incorrect statements could damage Goa’s reputation.
“In such times when the world stands united, each state is fighting the battle with all its forces, it is my humble request to Smt. K. K. Shailaja Ji to refrain from making incorrect statements that can damage the reputation of our state in any way. We are all in this together, fighting this pandemic and in the current scenario, no miscommunication or misleading statements should be put out that can create panic among the citizens,” Rane tweeted.
“After careful scrutinization and fact-checking with the [Kerala] team, we have been informed that the patient was transferred from Mahé in Pondicherry which is a Union Territory,” he said in another tweet.
Up to last week Goa had registered seven Covid-19 cases, all of whom had recovered. However, over the last one week the state has recorded 39 new cases all among those entering the state after interstate travel was eased and trains restarted.
Following Sawant and Rane’s tweets, Shailaja’s office issued a brief clarification saying it was a slip on her part that instead of Pondicherry she inadvertently mentioned Goa.
“In fact I was explaining in Kerala only three deaths took place. The fourth one belonged to Mahe which is part of Pondicherry. Since there are no medical facilities in Mahe the patient came to treatment in neighboring Kerala and later died. Instead of Pondicherry I took Goa’s name. I admit it was a slip on my part,” she said in a statement.
Mahe is a small town sandwiched between Kerala’s Kannur and Kozhikkode districts. Initially Kerala was quite reluctant to include the deceased Mahe patient in its list. Later, the Union health ministry clarified that if a person belonging to any other state died in the hospital of a particular state it will be added in the tally of the latter.
