Shri J P Nadda takes stock of the public health measures for Nipah Virus disease

• The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri J P Nadda today reviewed the ground situation with the Health Minister of Kerala and took stock of the public health measures in the affected areas.
• On directions of the Union Health Minister, a multi-disciplinary Central Team led by Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) including experts from NCDC, AIIMS, Safdarjung hospital, EMR division, NIV Pune was immediately deployed in Kozikode, Kerala and are constantly monitoring the situation of the Nipah Virus Disease and supporting the State Health Authorities in managing the outbreak.
• Nipah virus disease has affected two districts of Kerala viz. Kozhikode and Malappuram and Government of India has issued the following guidelines.
• Brief on Nipah Virus disease
• Advisory for General Public
• Advisory  for Health Care Personnel
• Guidelines for sample collection for Nipah Virus
• Hospital infection control guidelines
• Laboratory Biosafety guidelines
• Other than these, contact tracing and treatment and clinical management protocol has been provided to State authorities.
• National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is monitoring the situation in various States through (Integrated Disease Control Surveillance Programme (IDSP) network.
• Advisories have been sent to all the states, video conferencing have been conducted with States for training and clarifying their doubts.
• Samples were sent from various States viz. Goa, Telangana, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and all samples were negative. Details of cases and deaths, as on date there are 19 reported cases (18 lab confirmed). Out of 19 reported cases 17 died, from the two affected districts in Kerala State.

NMCG undertakes cleanliness drive at Kalindi Kunj Ghat in Delhi

• In the run up to the World Environment Day 2018, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in association with Yes Bank organised a cleanliness drive at Kalindi Kunj ghat on river Yamuna in New Delhi today.
• The focus during the cleanliness drive remained on freeing the ghat from plastic waste along with other solid waste.
• This is the third time in the past two months NMCG has organised a Swachhta drive at Kalindi Kunj ghat. Volunteers from NMCG and other stakeholders, led by Director General, NMCG, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra cleaned the Kalindi Kunj ghat of plastic and other solid waste.
• Cleaning of Yamuna is part of the Namami Gange programme as it is the tributary of River Ganga. Around 15 trucks full of waste collected from the ghat and the river was transported for proper disposal.
• Director General, NMCG, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra said on the occasion: “It is heartening to see the enthusiastic involvement of so many other departments and local people. While I thank all who participated in today’s the event, I request the people of Delhi to join hands with us in more numbers to clean River Yamuna. The involvement of each and every one of us is indispensable to clean Ganga mission.”

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