Kerala slams British media report on COVID-19 UK nationals

Kochi -The Kerala government on Thursday rejected a British media report which alleged that six UK nationals, infected with COVID-19, were being treated in filthy hospital isolation units at a hospital in 

The state authorities said two coronavirus infected 76- year-old UK nationals, a man and a woman, have already recovered due to the proper care provided to them by doctors and nursing staff at the Government Medical College Hospital, Ernakulam District Collector S Suhas said all COVID-19 patients admitted in the Ernakulam Government Medical College were given utmost care and facilities by the district administration.

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Two days after the allegations raised by relatives of one of the patients through the UK media came to the notice of the state authorities, the Collector, in a Facebook post, said the patients are accommodated in single rooms with attached washrooms. He, however, did not specifically refer to the allegations which appeared on the British newspaper in his post. "They are provided with wet wipes and tissue papers by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation. They are given special continental items of their choice for breakfast, lunch and dinner and provided dry fruits as well as fresh fruits and fruit juices," said the Collector in his post.

The Ernakulam district administration officially released the content of his Facebook post to the media. "They are provided non A/C rooms as the norms stipulate room with good ventilation and sunlight. The isolation rooms are cleaned six times a day", the Collector said. "The patients are being given round the clock medical care by six teams of doctors and paramedical staff taking four hours duty shifts.

All the doctors are experienced and qualified with MD degrees in internal medicine. They are also being given counselling by the psychiatry team daily. All these are done free of cost", the Collector said.

A prominent British newspaper had carried the allegations levelled by the daughter of the British nationals. She had reportedly said her parents were among the six tourists being held in filthy hospital isolation units infested with rat droppings and were without bedding, toilet paper, soap, towels and only had very basic food rations.

Theyre living in terrible conditions. We''re just worried the conditions theyre living in are going to make them so ill. Theyre finding it really, really difficult. Its going to have a massive impact on their mental health I think, she was quoted as saying in the UK media report.

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