Former Santosh Trophy footballer Hamza Koya dies of COVID-19 in Kerala
Malappuram: Former Santosh Trophy Footballer, E Hamza Koya, who had tested positive for COVID-19, succumbed to the virus early Saturday at a hospital here, taking the toll due to the infection in the state to 15.
Hamsakoya (61), who had settled in Mumbai and had represented Maharashtra in SantoshTrophy matches, had returned to his home town at parappanangad here by road on May21 along with his wife,son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren aged three months and three years.
His five family members have also tested positive for the virus and are under treatment at the Manjeri medical college hospital, sources said.
Hamza Koya was also suffering from pneumonia, had acute respiratory distress syndrome and cardiac problems, and underwent Plasma Therapy on the direction of the medical board as his condition worsened,a medical bulletin said.
Malappuram District Medical Officer Dr K Sakeena said Hamsakoya's wife and son showed symptoms of Covid-19 first and were admitted to the hospital.
All possible medical care was given to the deceased, but he breathed his last early this morning, she said.
"His wife and son tested positive for the virus first in his family. Later, Hamza Koya also tested positive for the virus and had been under treatment at the medical college. His daughter-in-law and two of his grandchildren have also tested positive and are under medical observation", Dr Sakeena said.
A veteran footballer of the Malabar region, Hamsakoya had played for Maharashtra state in Santosh Trophy matches besides playing for popular football clubs, the Mohan Bagan and Mohammedan Sports Club.
The mortal remains of the deceased will be buried as per the Covid protocol, sources added.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
