Months after he was hailed as a hero for trying to save the lives of infants at a government hospital in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, and being imprisoned for it by the Yogi Adityanath government, Dr Kafeel Khan has won hearts again with his offer to help fight the ongoing Nipah virus (NiV) outbreak in Kerala.
In a Facebook post early on Tuesday, Khan wrote he had been disturbed by the Nipah cases and requested Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to allow him to serve in Kozhikode Medical College, the main institution dealing with the outbreak. Khan wrote he was inspired by the work of a nurse, Lini, who died of Nipah, and declared he was willing to sacrifice his life.
The official Twitter and Facebook handles of the Kerala chief minister took note of Khan's offer and welcomed his offer to serve and expressed appreciation.
It said, “Even in the face of danger, many doctors continue to toil for the benefit of society, without being mindful of their own well-being. Dr Khan is one among them.” The post added that those who were interested in volunteering should contact the director of the health department or the superintendent of the Kozhikode Medical College.
Khan was regarded as a hero for trying to treat numerous infants suffering from Japanese Encephalitis despite lack of facilities at the BRD hospital in Gorakhpur in August 2017. Khan reportedly arranged oxygen cylinders on his own after the supplier stopped services due to non-payment of dues, which left 60 infants dead.
The Uttar Pradesh government under Yogi Adityanath accused Khan of complicity in the incidents and jailed him amid opposition in August. Khan was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court in April, with the judge observing there was no evidence against him.