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The Hindu
24-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Community Health Officers trained as first responders to snakebites in Mysuru
A five-day training on snakebite management was conducted with 280 Community Health Officers, who were equipped to be the first responders to snakebites in Mysuru district. The training programme was conducted recently by the District Surveillance Unit Office of the Department of Health and Family Welfare in Mysuru, in collaboration with Humane World for Animals India (formerly Humane Society International India), and Liana Trust. A release said that the training covered essential information on primary treatment and emergency management of snakebites, and is an attempt to address a major public health concern in the country. It is reckoned that an estimated 58,000 people die due to snakebites, and around 2,00,000 people suffer from life-altering health issues in India every year, the release said. The training programme has helped to provide knowledge to community officers which will not only save human lives, but also prevent killing of snakes by people, out of fear, the authorities added. The training of the 280 Community Health Officers was conducted for five days, and they were drawn from all the taluks of the district. They were given extensive information on topics such as commonly encountered venomous snakes, identifying signs of snakebite, prevention strategies, do's and don'ts during a bite incident, the importance of coexistence with snakes in rural areas, and the psychological and socio-economic impact of snakebites on families and individuals. District Surveillance Officer D.G. Nagaraj pointed out that Community Health Officers are the primary responders to community health problems and serve as a key link between rural communities and public health systems. Hence, training them on snake bite management was vital, he said. He said that there are nearly 330 Community Health Officers in Mysuru, and all of them are now trained as first responders to snakebite and its management. Jerry Martin, founder and trustee of Liana Trust, which is striving to address and resolve human-wildlife conflict, said while research into developing new treatments and improving existing ones is ongoing, the role of community education in preventing bites and deaths is just as important. According to Sumanth Bindumadhav, director of Wildlife Protection at Humane World for Animals India, if community members have the correct information, snakebites can be prevented, human lives can be saved, and cruelty towards snakes can also be curtailed. Humane World for Animals India and Liana Trust have been working with Mysuru district since 2018 to make the city a model for snakebite prevention and management strategies through ecological studies, social surveys, community outreach, policy reform, and institutional capacity building. In February 2024, Karnataka became the first Indian state to declare snakebite as a notifiable disease, the release added.
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Shops selling tobacco products require exclusive trade license: Health Dept.
Shops selling cigarettes, beedis and gutka in Mysuru have been warned of a penalty of ₹5,000 if they do not possess an exclusive trade license for selling tobacco products. District Surveillance Officer, Department of Health and Family Welfare, D.G. Nagaraj, who also heads the District Tobacco Control Cell, told The Hindu that an awareness campaign on the need for an exclusive tobacco vendors' license to sell tobacco products is under way as part of the ongoing Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003 compliance drive in Mysuru. 'We are educating and creating awareness for now. We will soon start penalising shops if they do not possess a separate trade license required for selling tobacco products,' he warned. Though directions have been issued under the Karnataka Municipalities (Regulation and Inspection of Places used for Sale of Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products) Model bye-laws 2020 to issue separate business licenses for sale of tobacco products, the Directorate of Municipal Administration had, in January 2025, taken serious note of the matter and directed the urban local bodies to issue such licenses under the Vyapar online software platform. Sale of loose beedis, cigarettes prohibited The District Surveillance Office has also informed that the loose sale of beedis and cigarettes is prohibited under the law and offenders will be liable for penalty. Meanwhile, the District Tobacco Control Cell has launched an 18-day-long special drive for implementation of COTPA rules in all the 18 police stations of Mysuru city from May 5. Six police stations, viz. Narasimharaja, Mandi Mohalla, V V Puram, Metagalli, Jayalakshmipuram, and Vijaynagar police stations had been covered till May 13. A total of 387 cases had been booked, including 101 in V.V. Puram police station limits alone, and a total of ₹43,900 penalty had been collected during the last six days of the drive. A majority of the fine was collected for violation of Section 4 of COTPA 2003, which dealt with the prohibition of smoking in public places, including bus stands, parks, hotels, restaurants, bakeries, shops, commercial establishments, cinema theatres, government offices, and private office premises. The responsibility of the enforcement lies on the owners of the premises and violation can lead to a fine upto ₹2,000, said a statement. Apart from booking the offenders for violation of various provisions of COTPA, Mr. Nagaraj said the Tobacco Control Cell officials also imposed penalty on shops selling imported and smuggled cigarettes during the drive. Consultant of Mysuru District Tobacco Control Cell Shivakumar and officials from the Department of Health, Education, Police, and Mysuru City Corporation are participating in the drive, which is expected to continue till May 28.
