Mumbai: Maharashtra, on Thursday, established a new 11-member task force to tackle measles at the behest of state health minister Tanaji Sawant. It is headed by former Director of Health Services Dr Subhash Salunkhe. The day also saw the special immunisation vaccination drive for administering the extra doses of measles shot kick-off.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the infection in the state rose to 18, with the inclusion of previously unreported deaths of two children from Thane. The first death was of a 6.5-year-old girl from Shil on November 22 and the second was on November 27 of a 1.5-year-old boy from Kausa. These deaths were reported to state authorities only on Thursday after the death audits confirmed the cause of death as measles, said Thane Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar.
Out of all the deaths so far, 15 have taken place in the hospitals of Mumbai, of which 3 kids were from nearby towns. The biggest number of deaths (10) are among children between 12 months and 24 months of age.
Dr Salunke said the task force will work to ensure no more children die due to measles. “It is a health system issue wherein the public health and paediatricians along with elected leaders have to work together,” he said.
He said the next month will be crucial wherein the community has to be mobilised on a war footing.
“Ownership has to be with the municipal corporations and elected leaders. In the next one month, the fight against measles has to be on war footing wherein we have to ensure mobilisation of community for vaccine acceptance along with taking care of malnourished children,” said Salunke, adding, that children with grade 3 or 4 malnutrition have to be managed well.
M East ward (Govandi), which has seen eight measles deaths so far, has a target of administering the additional doses to 30,000 children in the next ten days. The ward, which has ten health posts, has been working on the reluctant parents and has a special social worker dedicated to the area for the Lotus Health post.
Day one of the special drive saw parents coming to the camps with their kids aged between 6 months and 9 months. “The measles deaths and door-to-door campaigning has led people to become aware and forthcoming. We have taken help from the maulans in the area for the announcements. There are still a few reluctant ones for which we are relying on the local religious leaders,” said a community health worker from Rafi Nagar.
