Nipah Virus is once again scaring people in Kozhikode, Kerala. Amidst the increasing cases of this virus, an order has been issued to keep all schools and colleges closed for two days on Thursday, 14 September. Two people have died here due to Nipah virus. A 9 year old child is in ICU. Amidst the increasing cases of Nipah virus, NDTV had a special conversation with Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
During this, Mandaviya said, “After Covid, health has been in focus in the world. We had three priorities. Send a medical counter. Make people aware about health and focus on genome sequencing.” He told, the Central Health team reached Kozhikode in Kerala on Thursday. This team will hold a meeting with the district administration regarding Nipah virus.
Mansukh Mandaviya said, “Nipah virus is a little different from corona virus. Nipah virus does not spread so fast. It spreads through fruit-eating bats. It has three symptoms, which include headache and fever. Today, in India, the world Class Virology labs are available. Testing can be done immediately at the National Institute of Virology in Pune. We provide differentiated treatment as per our protocol to those who test positive. Those who are not positive, Different treatments are given.”
So far five cases of Nipah have been reported in Kerala. The Central Health team reached Kozhikode, Kerala on Thursday. This team will hold a meeting with the district administration regarding Nipah virus. Mandaviya said, “Preparations are also being made for genome sequencing in areas of Kerala.”
He said, “The Covid crisis has taught us a lot. We have also learned a lot from it. We have understood what our weaknesses are and are trying to improve them. We have made the surveillance system robust. Today a village Which disease is going on in the country, after channel surveillance, its report comes to our commanding centre. According to this, an action plan is prepared.”
Mandaviya said that due to this system, the case of Nipah virus in Kozhikode, Kerala came to our notice in time. The ministry has also sent a team there.
Is there a similar system in North India also? In response to this question, the Health Minister said, “In all parts, districts and block levels of the country, we learned from the Covid crisis what we need to do. What things need to be fixed…we focused on those things only. We launched the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission. It involved an expenditure of Rs. 64 thousand crores. That is, an average expenditure of Rs. 100 crores has to be incurred in a district. With this expenditure, we can work from block level to district level, regional level to state level and central level. “A series of laboratories are being prepared. Under this, a government lab has also been arranged at the block level. Free testing is done in the government lab.”
Mandaviya said that till now the beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat scheme are 60 crores. Out of that, Ayushman health cards have been given to 24 crore people. One card covers 70 percent of the family. Our government has created a different model for health. For us, health is not commerce, rather it is a service. In Seva Pakhwada, we have expected that people should get involved in service work.
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