Team Herald
PANJIM: Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja’s misleading information about Goa and its efforts to tackle COVID-19 situation to an international news agency, has not gone down well with Goa government.
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Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant in a five thread tweet gave a detailed clarification while Health Minister Vishwajit Rane sought for rectification from the Kerala minister.
“I am appalled by the factually incorrect statements of Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja during her interview with the BBC regarding the death in Kerala of a COVID positive patient from Goa,” he said in a tweet that soon garnered close to 1,000 retweets and around 1,500 likes.
“I wish to clarify three things in this matter. 1: 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. 2: Goa has a dedicated COVID-19 Hospital to deal with the pandemic. Seven patients have fully recovered after receiving treatment from the said hospital and we continue to treat COVID-19 patients from Goa as well as from other States.”
“Goa has outstanding health care 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. 3: I also want to inform you Madam that Goa is a full-fledged State and not a Union Territory.”
Rane termed her misinformed interview to BBC as disheartening and sought for rectifying her statement. “It is very disheartening to hear what @shailajateacher has incorrectly stated in her interview on @BBCWorld. In such times when the world stands united, each State is fighting the battle with all its forces, it is my humble request to @shailajateacher 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, miscommunication or misleading statements can create panic among citizens.”
Rane also demanded to know from the Kerala Health Minister authenticity of her statement that positive patient was shifted from Goa to Kerala for treatment, when Goa was in Green Zone for almost two weeks. He thereafter made ‘humble request’ to Shailaja to rectify and clear the misunderstanding she has created through the interview.
The Vice President of Goa Forward Party Durgadas Kamat has sought an unconditional apology from Shailaja as he equated her to an illiterate.
“Kerala is said to be the most literate State in India. But it’s unfortunate that Kerala Min @Shailajateacher has spoken like an ‘illiterate’. Goa attained full Statehood May 30, 1987. Goa will complete 33 years of full statehood in 2022. Unconditional apology is a must!”
Shailaja, in her interview had said that Goa is a Union Territory and that death of a COVID-19 patient in her State was that of a Goan who was shifted from Goa to Kerala as Goa have no medical facilities.
