Parts of Kerala hit by soaring mercury; 36 sun burns cases reported
Thiruvananthapuram: Several parts of Kerala have been hit by soaring mercury with 36 cases of sun burns being reported, official sources said Tuesday.
Kollam and Alapuzha districts accounted for the maximum sun burn cases of six each of the 36 reported till Monday, the Health department said.
Among other districts, Pathanamthitta saw five people seeking treatment for sun burn cases while Ernakulam and Kannur districts reported four cases each, it said.
According to the India Meteorological Department here, maximum temperature was very likely to be above normal by 3 to 4 degree Celsius inAlappuzha, Kottayam, Palakkad, and Kozhikode districts Tuesday and by 2 to 3 degree Celsius in the next two days.
Vellanikkara in Thrissur district recorded a maximum of 40.4 degrees Celsius while Palakkad 39.2 C as per the readings this morning.
The temperature was very likely to be above normal by 2 to 3 degree Celsius in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kannur and Kasargodedistricts during the next two days, the Met office said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has urged people to provide water to birds and animals in small pots or coconut shells to beat the summer heat.
In a Facebook post, Vijayan said forest department was also taking steps to provide water to birds and animlas in the forest by providing temporary water sources.
The health department has asked people to be alert and avoid getting exposed to sun from 11 am to 3 pm and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
Elderly and the children below four years must excercise caution, it said.
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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.
