Israel bombs tent housing journalists in Gaza; two killed, seven injured
Gaza: Israeli occupation forces have bombed a tent housing journalists near Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in Gaza, killing at least two people and wounding seven others.
Palestinian media, as cited by Al Jazeera on Monday, mentioned that at least two of the wounded journalists are in critical condition, one of them with severe burns and the other with a head injury from shrapnel.
In a statement, the Palestinian Journalists Forum described the bombing as a “heinous crime and a deliberate targeting of journalists that violated all international laws and conventions.”
This Israeli attack comes days after the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs highlighted that Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza has resulted in the highest number of media worker fatalities ever recorded.
In a report released on April 1, the US-based think tank revealed that Israeli forces have killed 232 journalists since October 7, 2023. This amounts to an average of 13 journalists per week, surpassing the death toll of media workers in both World Wars, the Vietnam War, the Yugoslav Wars, and the US-led conflict in Afghanistan combined.
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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.
