Indian cricket's "Superfan" Charulata Patel no more, BCCI offers condolences
New Delhi: Charulata Patel, the octogenarian "Superfan" of the Indian cricket team whose exuberant support prompted skipper Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma to seek her blessings during the World Cup in England, has died due to age-related ailments.
Patel, 87, passed away on Monday, a post on her official Instagram page, 'Cricket Daadi', stated.
"With a heavy heart, I inform you that our beautiful grandmother took her last breath on January 13th at 5:30 pm," the post read. "She was such a cute little lady, it is true that small things come in small packages. Our dadi was a pleasure, it was / is really exceptional. It was our world. I want to thank you all for making you feel special last year. She loved the attention."
The BCCI took to twitter to offer condolences.
"#TeamIndia's Superfan Charulata Patel ji will always remain in our hearts and her passion for the game will keep motivating us. May her soul rest in peace," it posted.
The wheelchair-bound Patel came to limelight when she was seen cheering for India by blowing a vuvuzela during a World Cup game against Bangladesh on July 2 last year in Birmingham.
Her enthusiasm prompted Kohli and Sharma to personally thank Patel. They showed their gratitude by seeking her blessings after India's win.
#TeamIndia's Superfan Charulata Patel ji will always remain in our hearts and her passion for the game will keep motivating us.
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 16, 2020
May her soul rest in peace pic.twitter.com/WUTQPWCpJR
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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.
