Kerala pays homage to nurse who died of Nipah

: In a moving gesture, nurses and nursing students in Kerala lit candles and joined hundreds of people in paying tribute to their colleague Lini Puthussery, who died of Nipah virus after contracting it from her patients.

Lini, a nurse of the Perambra taluk hospital, was infected when she took care of three members of a family in Changaroth, who later died of nipah virus.

Another member of the family, Moosa, died this morning in Kozhikode.

The tribute was paid at a gathering organised by the Kerala Health department here last night.

Health minister, K K Shylaja, Finance minister, Thomas Isaac and Labour minister, T P Ramakrishnan, were among those who turned up to remember the young nurse and her sacrifice.

Describing the loss as 'deeply painful,' Shylaja said Lini was a nurse, who loved her patients immensely.

Unmindful of her own health, she cared for them and would always be remembered for her sacrifice.

The nurses, cleaning staff and field workers were the 'wealth' of the state's health sector, the minister said.

The government will take steps to ensure the safety of its workers. They will be given training for this, she added.

Finance minister, Thomas Isaac said Lini had surprised everyone by her sacrifice.

Lini in her last letter to her husband had said she would not be able to meet him, he said adding she was aware what was going to happen to her.

Her family decided not to accept an offer of help from London, saying their (Kerala) government will take care of them, Isaac said.

"We are happy to hear that," he added.

Labour minister, T P Ramakrishnan, said Lini was a sincere person and a role model to all.

Lini's husband, Sajeesh, who works in Bahrain, rushed to Perambra on hearing about her condition, but by then it was almost too late.

The LDF government has offered Sajeesh a job and a financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each for their two children aged 2 and 5.