Thiruvananthapuram: Research and sample collection related to Nipah virus in the state can only be done under the supervision of the health department. For conducting studies related to the deadly virus, prior approval shall be sought from the concerned government officials. And before publishing the thesis, a copy of it shall be submitted to the principal secretary of the health department.

With the recurring incidents of Nipha infections in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts, several institutes and vaccine companies have approached the Kerala government with various proposals. In this backdrop, the state health department has now come up with a detailed plan of action.

The patient details are kept under wraps and sample collections are foolproof. The government considers ‘Nipah’ data as invaluable. However, a few of the medical researchers are opposing the state government’s total control over the proceedings. They feel researchers in national institutes will be robbed of the opportunities to learn in detail about the zoonotic disease with the restrictions put in place. 

A research team is usually led by the principal investigator, co-principal investigator and co-investigator. When it comes to research on Nipah, these officials have to be from either the health or the health education department or from the NHM or SSRC. 

A report on the research subject and the mode of study shall be submitted to the health department after receiving an approval from the ethics committee functioning at the Kozhikode medical college. The final clearance shall be given by a council comprising the directors of health and health education departments.   

If a statewide research is to be done on Nipah, then the approval shall be sought from the human ethics committee.

Samples shall be collected from the patients and from the areas where the disease had spread only under the supervision of the district surveillance officer.