Kerala Brings Nipah Survivor Back to Life After 4.5-Month Rehab

Kozhikode: A 42- year -old woman from Valanchery, who survived Nipah virus infection, has returned to normal life after four- and -a -half months of intensive neuro -rehabilitation at the Government Medical College, Manjeri.

The patient, brought to the medical college from EMS Hospital on 4 July, had been in a fully unconscious state, suffering recurrent seizures and episodes of dangerously low blood pressure. She was shifted to an isolation room equipped with advanced facilities, including a specialised alpha bed costing around one lakh rupees.

Health Minister Veena George, who visited the patient during treatment, instructed the hospital to ensure expert, uninterrupted care. A medical board was formed under the coordination of Principal Dr Anil Raj and Superintendent Dr Prabhudas.

Doctors from the General Medicine Department – Dr Praveen M, Dr Suraj R K, Dr Shiji P V, Dr Nikhil Vinod, Dr Kaja Husain and Dr Harsha Vellur – led the medical team. Senior Nursing Officer Jonsy Thomas’ team and the physiotherapy unit headed by Dr Sadhikali M T provided specialised nursing support and neuro-rehabilitation therapy.

The patient’s recovery is being highlighted as another example of Kerala’s strong public-health response. Nipah virus has an extremely high case fatality rate, estimated globally between 40% and 75%, with some outbreaks reporting mortality as high as 91–100%. Despite this, Kerala’s health system succeeded in bringing a critically ill patient back from the brink of death.

Hospital authorities confirmed that after months of therapy, the woman has regained functional ability and is returning to everyday life.