The Hindu : Kerala News : Media draw flak over reports of Bensy’s ‘death’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 14, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Kerala

Kerala

Media draw flak over reports of Bensy’s ‘death’

Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram: An embarrassing mistake by a section of the media in reporting the ‘death’ of Bensy, the HIV-positive child who is under treatment at the SAT hospital, had the Kerala State Aids Control Society (KSACS) and the SAT hospital authorities hastily convening a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to declare that the child was well and recuperating.

All hell broke loose around noon on Wednesday when television channels began flashing the news of Bensy’s death, which was followed up by background stories about the child and her HIV-positive sibling. It was following the flurry of phone calls from various media that KSACS authorities and doctors at SAT hospital came to know about the news of Bensy’s ‘death.’ When contacted, the doctors expressed surprise and anger that such a rumour could have been spread when all along they had made it clear that the child was not in an acute condition.

Talking to reporters, Special Secretary (Health) and Project Director of KSACS Usha Titus said that Bensy was well enough to be discharged from the hospital but that the doctors were awaiting the results of some blood tests.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala