india

Updated: Mar 11, 2020 16:01 IST

The Kerala police have registered a case against a doctor who allegedly portrayed health officials in bad light and spread false information about a non-resident Indian (NRI) who was quarantined for suspected coronavirus, a top official said Wednesday.

The case was registered after the Thrissur district medical officer (DMO) filed a complaint against Dr Shinu Shyamalan saying her information was incorrect and that her social media posts on the subject was for ‘publicity.’

Dr Shyamalan, who worked at a private clinic in Thalikulam in Thrissur, had claimed that she lost her job after informing the government officials about a patient who visited the clinic with symptoms of coronavirus. Later, she also took to social media saying that the patient had later left for Qatar before the tests reports of his samples came. She also claimed that her employer had terminated her service for “telling the truth” and that health officials took her complaints casually.

But after inquiry, DMO Dr J J Reena found that the particular patient was under observation and was given permission to leave the country because he had not developed any symptoms during the surveillance period. The DMO said the suspected patient had come to Kerala on January 31 and he had gone back after a 28-day quarantine period.

In her compliant, the DMO said Dr Shyamalan tried to portray health workers in bad light by raking up an unnecessary controversy at a critical juncture when the government is going all out to contain infections in the state which now has 14 positive cases.

Thrissur district collector S Shanawas later directed the police to file a case against Dr Shyamalan and also a news channel which aired her interview. The doctor was not available for her comments after police booked her.