Israeli airstrike on Gaza school kills 27, including women, children
Gaza: At least 27 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school in northern Gaza that was sheltering displaced families, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Dozens more were injured when the Dar al-Arqam school in Gaza City's Tuffah district was hit.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of devastation as children with severe injuries were rushed to hospitals. Gaza's Civil Defence spokesperson, Mahmoud Bassal, confirmed that entire families were among the casualties. A pregnant woman carrying twins, along with her husband, sister, and three children, remain missing under the rubble.
The Israeli military claimed it had targeted a Hamas command center but did not acknowledge the attack on the school or the civilians inside.
Overnight, another 12 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on homes in Gaza City’s Shejaiya district. Israel has ordered mass evacuations from multiple areas, including northern Gaza and the city of Rafah, forcing tens of thousands to flee amid relentless bombardment.
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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.
