KOZHIKODE: Containing Nipah has been widely appreciated, with all hailing the dedication and fearlessness of health workers. Some even connected it to Kerala nurses who heal patients across the globe. The state government has decided to felicitate all the health workers who valiantly fought Nipah. Dr B. Ekbal, health activist, neurosurgeon and former vice-chancellor, suggests that such state honours should be in the name of Dr Palpu.
Dr Padmanabhan Palpu is better known as a renaissance leader of Kerala, but his contributions to the health sector are very little known. "He fearlessly led from the front the fight against the plague that devastated Bangalore in 1896," he says. "He was the special officer designated to contain the disease which took 15,000 lives in Bangalore alone. He came in as even his senior doctors withdrew from the scene fearing death." Dr Palpu wrote his testament and handed it over to the authorities before plunging into the duty.
"He was a medical officer under Mysore Government then. Not only he fought the plague, but he also had to cremate many the dreaded bacteria claimed," added Dr Ekbal. After the successful containment of plague, Sergeant General of India visited the State of Mysore and certified that Dr Palpu's camps were better and efficient than others. Impressed by his service, the state government sent him abroad for further studies.
"Though he came fourth in the exam conducted by then Travancore princely state for medicine course, he was rejected for his low caste. After obtaining medical degree from Madras Medical College, he was again dismissed by Travancore in job selection," says Dr Ekbal. "If we could felicitate Nipah fighters in the name of Dr Palpu, that would be honouring that legend also."
