Goa IPS officer defeats cancer, completes tough Ironman triathlon race
Panaji (PTI): Setting an example of grit and determination, an Indian Police Service Officer (IPS) from Goa has fought cancer and beaten the odds against him to successfully complete the difficult Ironman triathlon race.
Nidhin Valsan, 36, currently serving as the superintendent of police (crime branch) and handling the sensitive land grab cases in Goa, did not win the triathlon, but he stole the hearts of the audience with his exemplary display of strength and will power.
"I thought if I am able to do this, I will be able to show the world what one can achieve and hopefully show to everyone that cancer is not an impossible disease to fight," Valsan told reporters after finishing the Ironman 70.3 race in Panaji on Sunday while competing with more than 1,400 other participants.
The 2012 batch IPS officer completed the race in 8 hours, 3 minutes and 53 seconds, within the stipulated time, the organisers said.
Valsan said he was last year diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer that generally develops in the lympathic system.
The police officer said he did not give up and fought against the disease and was declared "all-clear" in February this year.
"I am fine now," he said.
Valsan said this was the first time he participated in the Ironman race. In 2014, he had participated in a half-marathon in Delhi, he added.
There were a total of 1,450 participants in the Ironman triathlon, which included 1.9 km of open sea swimming, 90 km of cycling and 21 km of run.
Nihal Baig, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, won the race, while defending champion Bisworjit Saikhom of the Indian Army stood second, as per the results declared by the organisers.
#Goa IPS officer #NidhinValsan fought non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, one of the most dangerous cancer types, and a year later, on Sunday, finished the gruelling #Ironman 70.3 Goa race. pic.twitter.com/V8HZgwuhxI
— TOI Goa (@TOIGoaNews) November 14, 2022
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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.
