Thiruvananthapuram, Sunday 13 June 2010: Opposition Leader Oommen Chandy has come down heavily on the government for “its failure to contain the outbreak of viral fever in the State.”

Chandy told a press conference here that the government had failed to learn from the experience of the last five years and remained unprepared to tackle the outbreak. More number of people was succumbing to fever and the death toll too was going up. At several hospitals, not enough doctors, paramedical staff or medicines were available. The government should wake up to the seriousness of the situation, he said.

He felt there was no question of the government running short of funds to make personnel and drugs available, as sufficient funds were available from the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).