Latest news with #DirectorateofPublicHealthandPreventiveMedicine
New Indian Express
20 hours ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Covid positive 69-year-old woman with comorbidities dies in Chennai
CHENNAI: A 69-year-old woman with comorbidities, who tested positive for Covid-19, died at a private hospital in Chennai on Sunday. The deceased was a resident of Sowcarpet, and was suffering from cervical cancer. She was admitted to the ICU of a private hospital at Chetpet. Sources said she also had type 2 diabetes mellitus and Parkinson's disease. This is the third death of a Covid positive person in the state, after the recent spike in the number of cases. According to the Union Health Ministry's data, the state has 215 active cases as on Tuesday, and 26 people tested positive in the last 24 hours. The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine in Tamil Nadu had recently issued instructions to all the district health officers, city health officers, and municipal health officers to step up disease surveillance and encourage people to wear face masks in crowded places tor reduce respiratory transmission. Health minister Ma Subramanian also requested people not to panic as no new variant is in circulation in the state.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Youth dies of kidney ailment in Salem; doctors clarify Covid not the cause amid mask panic in Coimbatore
Meanwhile, in Coimbatore, misinformation about a mandatory mask rule for visitors at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) caused panic on Saturday. Earlier, following a nationwide rise in Covid-19 cases, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH) had advised the public to wear masks and maintain physical distancing. However, a security guard at CMCH mistakenly announced via a public address system that wearing face masks was compulsory for all visitors. The message was further circulated by vendors outside the hospital selling face masks, leading to confusion and concern among the public. Hospital Dean Dr A. Nirmala clarified that the announcement was made in error. 'A private firm that provides security and housekeeping services to CMCH had asked its staff to wear PPE kits, masks, and gloves for their own protection. The security staff misunderstood this instruction and conveyed it incorrectly to the public,' she said. An internal inquiry was held, and staff were instructed not to make such announcements on their own. Dr Nirmala added, 'There is no government order making masks compulsory. However, wearing masks is still advisable as respiratory infections tend to spread during the rainy season.' She further clarified that there is currently no alarming rise in fever cases or Covid-19 infections in Coimbatore. 'Some misinformation led to unnecessary panic among visitors,' she said.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
MGMGH opens Covid-19 ward but no cases in district yet
TIRUCHY: Amid an increase in Covid-19 cases across the country, a 12-bed Covid-19 isolation ward has been set up at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) as a precautionary measure. Although no confirmed cases of the viral disease has been reported in the district so far, the move to open the isolation ward comes as fever cases are being more intensely monitored across the state. The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has instructed all district and city health officers to step up surveillance of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI). According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant as of May 2025, NB.1.8.1, is more transmissible but does not typically cause severe disease. Covid-19 is now considered endemic, and many cases are being identified incidentally through broad respiratory virus testing.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
89% schools and 87% colleges declared tobacco-free: DPH
In Tamil Nadu, 89% of schools and 87% of colleges have been declared as tobacco-free educational institutions, according to the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. Issuing a press release in line with the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) observed on May 31, T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health, said that Tamil Nadu has implemented comprehensive interventions focussed on enforcement, awareness, capacity building, cessation services and safeguarding institutions from tobacco exposure. This year, WNTD is observed on the theme 'Unmasking the appeal: Exposing industry tactics on tobacco and nicotine products' underscoring the urgent need to counter deceptive marketing strategies targeting children, adolescents and vulnerable communities, the release said. Listing out key achievements in tobacco control (up to May 2025) in the State, the directorate said on strict enforcement of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), a total of 4,60,486 persons were fined and a fine amount of ₹7,97,13,387 was collected. A total of 45,865 out of 51,477 schools and 2,173 out of 2,484 colleges were declared tobacco-free. To enforce Section 6 of COTPA and to protect the young, the directorate has asked district officials to ensure that all educational institutions mark the 100-yard tobacco-free zones by implementing the 'Yellow Line Campaign'. 'This year's theme reminds us that the battle against tobacco is not just about controlling consumption — it is about exposing the industries that profit by endangering lives,' he said. Dr. Selvavinagayam added that Tamil Nadu leads by example with widespread enforcement, education, and community engagement. 'Through initiatives like the Yellow Line Campaign, we are drawing a visible boundary between our children and the threat of tobacco.' In line with this year's theme, Cancer Institute (WIA) organised a series of events that included an awareness rally, sand sculpture, open mic and announcement of awareness messages in Chennai Metro Rail stations, according to a press release. The department of Psycho-Oncology, Cancer Institute (WIA) along with HCL Foundation organised the awareness rally at Elliot's Beach, Besant Nagar on May 31. Nearly 1,000 participants including school and college students took part. R. Murugan, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai Police, Adyar Range and T. G. Sagar, Governing Body Member and former director, Cancer Institute (WIA) were present. A social media campaign aligned with World Health Organisation's (WHO) WNTD was also held. It highlighted tobacco's harmful effects, debunked myths, and exposed industry tactics targeting youth, and promoted the health benefits of quitting tobacco to encourage informed choices. Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research conducted an awareness rally to mark WNTD. Students, faculty members and healthcare professionals participated in the rally. Sri Ramachandra Hospital has opened a cessation clinic as per WHO guidelines to overcome addiction of tobacco usage through counselling and supportive medication, a release said.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
COVID-19: T.N. health officers told to ensure early detection, reporting of ILI and SARI cases
With cases of COVID-19 being reported in various parts of the country, health officers have been told to step up disease surveillance and implement proactive measures to ensure early detection, reporting, and response to cases of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI). The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, in a communication to district, city, and municipal health officers, said that recent reports indicate a resurgence of COVID-19 cases across various parts of the country, with a noticeable increase in several States, including Tamil Nadu, during May. District Surveillance Units should ensure consistent daily monitoring and reporting of ILI and SARI cases from all healthcare facilities in their jurisdictions. They should report any unusual clustering of cases, without delay, to the State Surveillance Unit to enable timely public health response. Once clusters are identified, close monitoring should be maintained and necessary follow-up actions must be carried out in coordination with field-level teams and Primary Health Centres. The directorate has said that all healthcare facilities must verify the availability of essential medical supplies, including antiviral drugs such as Oseltamivir and necessary diagnostic consumables for managing ILI. They should also assess and ensure sufficient bed capacity in fever wards, with contingency plans to accommodate any surge in patient numbers. Field staff should be mobilised to promote public health messages within communities. This includes promoting hand hygiene, encouraging wearing masks in crowded places to reduce transmission, and maintaining cough etiquette and a safe distance from individuals showing symptoms of respiratory illness. They should urge individuals to seek medical care early in case of symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough, or body pain. They should also reinforce the need for seasonal influenza vaccination, particularly among high-risk groups. The staff should advise regular cleaning of commonly touched surfaces such as phones, door handles, and light switches. The officers were told to instruct all health institutions in their administrative control to report all ILI/SARI cases on the Integrated Health Information Platform portal without fail.
