Incidents like Nipah outbreak result of 'tampering with nature', says J P Nadda

Raipur, Jun 4: Union Health Minister J P Nadda said that incidents such as the Nipah virus outbreak were the result of "tampering with nature". He said that the outbreak occurred due to natural reasons.

Addressing a press conference here to highlight the achievements of four years of the NDA rule, Nadda said that his ministry had taken pro-active measures, in coordination with state governments, to contain the Nipah virus outbreak.

He said that scientists from the National Institute of Virology in Pune and doctors from the National Centre for Disease Control were immediately sent to the affected area (Kerala) to coordinate with the state government. The minister said that every person suffering from the virus had been mapped and those in contact with such patients had been detected.

"All such incidents were the result of tampering with nature. It wasn't a man-made problem. There were natural reasons," Nadda said. He said that there was a need to be vigilant rather than to panic, adding that the ministry was keeping a constant watch on the situation. About the achievements of the Narendra Modi government, Nadda said that development was reaching the poorest sections of society.

Citing several government schemes, he said that people were gaining employment not just within the country but also abroad. Inflation had come down and efforts were on to bring down prices of essential items as much as possible, he said.

Nadda said that free drugs and diagnostic services were being provided through all primary and community health centres as well as district hospitals. The Centre had enacted the Model Code of the Clinical Establishment Act, to regulate private hospitals, and it was for state governments now to implement it, he said. He added that the Centre was concerned over the cost of medicines and new provisions were being made to control them.

PTI