Nipah: 8 suspected cases test negative, patient condition remains critical
Thiruvananthapuram, May 10 (PTI): The Kerala government on Saturday said that eight more people, who had come into contact with a Nipah virus infected patient in Malappuram district, tested negative for the disease.
However, the infected patient continues to be in critical condition despite being given one dose of monoclonal antibodies on Friday, state Health Minister Veena George said in a statement.
Another dose would be administered to the patient on Saturday, she said.
With eight more testing negative, the total number of persons who have been cleared of the disease has reached 25, the statement.
Meanwhile, 37 more were added to the contact list of the infected patient, bringing the total number to 94, it said.
Of these, 53 are in the high risk category with 40 of them from Malappuram, 11 from Palakkad and one each from Ernakulam and Kozhikode districts of the state, it said.
The remaining 43 are in the low risk category, the statement said.
Besides the infected person, five others are under treatment in various hospitals in the state, the minister said in the statement.
A joint outbreak investigation has been started in Malappuram district with the coordination of various departments, the statement said.
It also said that health workers visited 1,781 homes in that district during the day as part of a fever survey.
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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.
