Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 15 (NationPress) Journalist-turned-Health Minister Veena George has faced significant backlash following her comments on a study regarding Acanthamoeba, the organism associated with Acanthamoeba keratitis, which sparked widespread controversy.

The uproar began when the Minister asserted that the study was released in 2013, yet records indicate that it was published in the 'Indian Journal of Microbiology' in 2018, during the administration of her predecessor, K.K. Shailaja.

This research, conducted in 2013 by professionals at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, analyzed 350 patients suffering from corneal ulcers.

It discovered that 64 percent of the cases were attributed to Acanthamoeba, which is believed to have been transmitted through contaminated well water.

The report included a “health hazard warning” and called for decisive action, but no measures were enacted at that time, as stated by the Minister.

In a comprehensive Facebook post, Veena George clarified that although the research was finalized in 2013, it was only submitted to a journal years later and published in 2018.

“Numerous journals publish such papers; these do not automatically come to the government's attention unless highlighted by someone with academic interest.

The real issue lies not in the 2018 publication being overlooked, but that in 2013, when the government was explicitly informed, no actions were taken,” she explained.

Critics of the Left government, particularly healthcare professionals, have seized upon her statement, questioning why the Health Department failed to act sooner and how the issue emerged just days prior to the Assembly session.

Simultaneously, discontent within the CPI-M is also reported, with indications that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is dissatisfied with the embarrassment caused to the government.

The study was conducted by Dr. Anna Cherian and Dr. R. Jyothi and was subsequently presented at an academic conference in 2013.

Recent fatalities due to Amoebic Meningoencephalitis have escalated public anxiety, intensifying the controversy and placing the Health Minister under scrutiny regarding the government's management of health matters.

As the 12-day Assembly session commences on Monday, all eyes are on Veena George's primary critic, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan, who has frequently criticized her leadership of the health department.