Udupi model of 'Vatsalya' scheme to be replicated in the state: CM Basavaraj Bommai
Udupi, Aug 12: The 'Vatsalya' scheme launched in Udupi district for children will be replicated across Karnataka in view of the apprehensions of some experts that the third wave of COVID-19 may affect kids most, Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai said on Thursday.
"In Udupi, 'Vatsalya' (meaning affection) scheme has been launched. The same has to be implemented in Mangaluru and across the State. In the next one and half months a health checkup of all the children will be carried out. Such camps should be held in every school of the state. If there is any shortcoming in the nutrition then it should be improved," Bommai told reporters here.
He opined that the nutrition intake is low among a section of children from economically weaker sections and rural areas leading to their "under-growth", lack of immunity, and malnourishment.
"In order to identify them, health camps have to be organised. If there is any shortcoming in the nutrition then it should be improved," Bommai added.
He added that some medical experts are of the view that the third wave may hit children the most. Hence, a special drive will be launched under 'Vatsalya'.
Bommai said he would hold a meeting with experts next week as part of efforts to contain COVID-19.
Bommai, who visited Dakshina Kannada district to review COVID-19 situation, said he has been noticing that the positivity rate was going up after the second wave was over.
"I have taken the increasing number of COVID cases very seriously. I don't want to trouble people with lockdowns with the increase in COVID cases. Prevention is better than cure," he said.
The Chief Minister also explained the measures being taken to contain COVID cases such as restrictions on the border, tracking and tracing of the infected people, improving health infrastructure, strengthening the taskforce and activating the triaging at the village level, and increasing vaccination.
Dakshina Kannada, which borders Kerala, has been the major COVID-19 hotspot leaving behind other districts of the state for the past many days.
Meanwhile, in Bengaluru as many as 543 children up to the age to 19 have been infected with COVID-19 since August one, details shared by Bengaluru civic agency show.
However, there were zero fatalities among those children.
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Low visibility prevents PM’s helicopter from landing in Taherpur, Modi returns to Kolkata airport
Kolkata (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s helicopter failed to land at the Taherpur helipad in West Bengal owing to low visibility on account of dense fog in the area on Saturday, an official said.
The PM’s chopper made a U-turn after hovering over the helipad ground for a while and returned to the Kolkata airport, he said.
Till reports last received, the Prime Minister was waiting at the airport for further updates on the weather situation.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Modi would reach the rally venue district by road or whether he would wait for the weather to clear up and make another attempt to reach Taherpur by the aerial route, the official said.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister reached Kolkata at around 10.40 am and took a chopper onward to Taherpur in Nadia district, where he is scheduled to hold an administrative programme to launch highway projects in West Bengal, followed by a political rally of the BJP, titled Parivartan Sankalpa Sabha, which he is supposed to address.
