As the H1N1 virus spreads especially in the capital Male, health minister Abdulla Nazim Wednesday urged the opposition against using the epidemic as a political weapon.
Speaking during a program on government aligned TV station 'Channel 13' on Wednesday evening, the minister insisted that everyone must work together to stop the further spread of the flu and return the nation to normalcy.
However, he accused the opposition of exploiting the dire situation for political gain leading mass panic which he described as a betrayal for the entire nation.
"From the children to the elderly, from the rich to the poor, this is related to the daily lives of each and everyone of us. So no one should be looking to exploit this situation through blatant lies. We shouldn't use this as a political weapon to create further chaos and panic. That would be a betrayal to the people and the country," Nazim stressed.
The minister also denied opposition led accusations that the government had initially tried to cover-up the outbreak insisting that the authorities had shared information with the public based on the situation at a given time.
Despite the number of cases positive for H1N1 reaching 81 as of Wednesday, the spread has been largely contained in the capital Male.
Government along with private health care providers have set up multiple flu clinic throughout the capital and suburbs to provide round the clock service.
Public schools, universities and private colleges have suspended classes while the authorities have urged people in the Atolls against travelling to the capital.
