A delegation of the Japanese government visited Kozhikode Aster Mims Hospital to study the case of a nine-year-old boy who was successfully treated for the Nipah virus and brought back to normal life after being confined to a ventilator during the initial stages. This was the first time in world medical history that such a turnaround was made possible.  

The Japanese team, which arrived at the hospital last week, visited the pediatric and adult ICU facilities and reviewed the test results and treatment methods of Nipah patients and those who had come in contact with them. 

The team discussed with doctors regarding preparations for getting patients to the hospital quickly, efforts made to avoid transmission of the disease, facilities set up in the hospital such as the emergency room and isolation room, and the criteria for discharging those who made the recovery. 

"The Japan team highlighted the need for cooperation in the event of such outbreaks happening in the future," said Dr. A.S. Anoop Kumar, Director, Aster North Kerala Cluster Critical Care Department. 

The delegation, who congratulated the health workers of MIMS for their excellent immunization activities, also extended an invitation to visit Japan and understand the immunization activities being carried out there, Mr Anoop said. 

The six-member delegation consisted of senior officials from Japan's National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM). The team was led by Yukimasa Matsuzawa, Deputy Director, of Global Outbreak Intelligence, Capacity Building and Deployment Coordination Center (GIC), functioning under the NCGM.