Latest news with #T.S.Selvavinayagam
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Move to integrate Siddha practices into T.N.'s public health system draws flak from doctors
Doctors are fuming over a decision to integrate Siddha practices into the State's public health system. Condemning the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine for entering into a pact to promote integrative healthcare, doctors' associations have called it a regressive step to promote 'mixopathy' and 'pseudo-scientific' practices. The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, the Commissionerate of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy, and the National Institute of Siddha, Chennai, have formalised a collaboration through a memorandum of understanding to jointly promote integrative healthcare. According to an official communication issued by T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health, the initiative aims to bridge the strengths of modern medicine with the rich heritage of the Indian System of Medicine. The partnership reflects the government's vision of promoting holistic, inclusive and accessible healthcare, it said. 'By integrating validated Siddha practices into the public health system, the State aims to provide affordable and culturally rooted healthcare options to its people. The initiative represents a progressive step toward a healthcare model that values tradition and science alike - delivering better outcomes through collaboration and innovation,' it added. P. Saminathan, president of Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association, in the statement, said this 'unscientific decision' of the DPH, which in principle itself amounted to mixopathy, would lead to a gradual decrease in standards of all systems of medicine — modern medicine, Siddha, Ayurveda, Unani, and homoeopathy. He said the Health Department was 'committing a historic blunder by taking this regressive step.' 'Let science be science. Each system of science will develop if research is done, instead of bringing in mixopathy in thè name of integrating them. It will also lead to gradual demise of a system of medicine,' he said. The SDPGA sought the intervention of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to stop this decision. G.R. Ravindranath, general secretary, Doctors' Association for Social Equality, charged the Health Department of buckling under pressure from the Union government. 'By integrating Siddha and homoeopathy with modern medicine, the State's Public Health Directorate is implementing the Union government's push for integrated medicine. This is highly condemnable,' he said. 'Is the Tamil Nadu government going to promote pseudo-scientific practices? There is no scientific basis for integrated medicine, and this will go against the welfare of people' he said. A senior government doctor said traditional medicine — an ancient system — does not have the solutions for new age diseases. 'Among the top 10 mortality contributors in Tamil Nadu are diabetes, hypertension, myocardial infarctions, stroke, tuberculosis, and chronic kidney diseases. According to the Sustainable Development Goals, premature mortality due to non-communicable diseases should be reduced by 2030. But none of the Indian systems of medicine have solutions to manage these diseases. Then, what is the role of integrative medicine in reducing mortality and disability?' he asked.
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Anti-rabies vaccine alone is not enough when children suffer deep stray dog bites, says Tamil Nadu Directorate of Public Health
Citing two recent rabies deaths despite vaccination in Kerala, the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine reiterated the need to train healthcare workers to identify the dog bite category and administer rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) appropriately along with anti-rabies vaccine (ARV). Re-emphasising the set of scientific guidelines that healthcare workers should strictly adhere to, the directorate said two boys, who were bitten by stray dogs in Kerala, died despite being vaccinated. The reasons for their deaths could be a delay in starting post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), improper wound cleaning, skipping of doses, failure to administer RIG for category III exposures (transdermal bites or scratches, licks on broken skin), and improper vaccine storage or administration as recommended by the manufacturer. In a communication to district and city health officers, T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health, said rabies PEP is life-saving only if done properly. Proper wound care, timely and complete vaccination, RIG (if indicated), and the storage of vaccines at proper temperatures are crucial, he said. They should be aware that rabies is a deadly viral infection that affects the brain and nervous system, and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, for which the PEP must be administered correctly and promptly. Standard guidelines for rabies vaccination after a suspected or confirmed dog bite should be strictly followed. Elaborating the possible reasons for rabies death despite vaccination, the directorate said if a child had deep or bleeding wounds, RIG should be administered along with ARV. RIG neutralises the virus at the site of wound, especially in the initial days before vaccine-induced antibodies develop. Without RIG, the virus can spread to the nervous system, even if ARV is given later, it said. Key reasons If there is a delay in starting PEP even by a few days, especially with severe bites near the face or head, the vaccine may not prevent the disease. Missed or delayed dose of the vaccine and incorrect administration (wrong injection site or route of administration) could also be a cause. Improper cleaning of wounds is another possible cause, as the first and most important step is thorough washing with soap and water for at least 15 minutes. The directorate added that children were at a higher risk as the immature immune system might respond less robustly. Listing out the guidelines for PEP, the directorate said the bite should be assessed — category I (touching/feeding animals, licks on intact skin-no PEP required), category II (minor scratches/abrasions without bleeding-vaccine only) and category III (vaccine and RIG).
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Anti-rabies vaccine alone is not enough when children suffer deep stray dog bites, says DPH
Citing two recent rabies deaths despite vaccination in Kerala, the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine reiterated the need to train healthcare workers to identify the dog bite category and administer rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) appropriately along with anti-rabies vaccine (ARV). Re-emphasising the set of scientific guidelines that healthcare workers should strictly adhere to, the directorate said two boys, who were bitten by stray dogs in Kerala, died despite being vaccinated. The reasons for their deaths could be a delay in starting post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), improper wound cleaning, skipping of doses, failure to administer RIG for category III exposures (transdermal bites or scratches, licks on broken skin), and improper vaccine storage or administration as recommended by the manufacturer. In a communication to district and city health officers, T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health, said rabies PEP is life-saving only if done properly. Proper wound care, timely and complete vaccination, RIG (if indicated), and the storage of vaccines at proper temperatures are crucial, he said. They should be aware that rabies is a deadly viral infection that affects the brain and nervous system, and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, for which the PEP must be administered correctly and promptly. Standard guidelines for rabies vaccination after a suspected or confirmed dog bite should be strictly followed. Elaborating the possible reasons for rabies death despite vaccination, the directorate said if a child had deep or bleeding wounds, RIG should be administered along with ARV. RIG neutralises the virus at the site of wound, especially in the initial days before vaccine-induced antibodies develop. Without RIG, the virus can spread to the nervous system, even if ARV is given later, it said. Key reasons If there is a delay in starting PEP even by a few days, especially with severe bites near the face or head, the vaccine may not prevent the disease. Missed or delayed dose of the vaccine and incorrect administration (wrong injection site or route of administration) could also be a cause. Improper cleaning of wounds is another possible cause, as the first and most important step is thorough washing with soap and water for at least 15 minutes. The directorate added that children were at a higher risk as the immature immune system might respond less robustly. Listing out the guidelines for PEP, the directorate said the bite should be assessed — category I (touching/feeding animals, licks on intact skin-no PEP required), category II (minor scratches/abrasions without bleeding-vaccine only) and category III (vaccine and RIG).
The Hindu
29-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu expands Japanese Encephalitis vaccination to seven more districts
Tamil Nadu is scaling up Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccination to seven more districts. They are Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Vellore, Nagapattinam, and Chennai. According to the World Health Organization, the Japanese Encephalitis virus is spread by mosquitoes (especially Culex tritaeniorhynchus). Though symptomatic JE is rare, the case fatality rate among those with encephalitis can be as high as 30%. Permanent neurologic, cognitive and behavioural sequelae occur in 30%-50% of those with encephalitis, it has said. The Health Department had already identified 14 districts — Cuddalore, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Virudhunagar, Tiruchi, Tiruvarur, Madurai, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvannamalai, Karur, Pudukkottai, and Tiruvallur — as endemic to Japanese Encephalitis. Camps at schools Vaccination was taken up in these districts, and a total of 58,22,906 people have so far benefited from the drive. The vaccination programme would be expanded to seven more districts, and camps would be conducted at government and private schools and Anganwadi centres. Village Health Nurses, who are trained in immunisation, would be involved in administering the vaccine to children aged 1-15 years. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said a total of 32,64,099 children would benefit, according to a press release. T. S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said, 'Whenever we start seeing cases in a particular district or area, we expand the services. This is one strategy to reduce infant/child mortality rate.' He added that the vaccine was supplied free by the Government of India. Noticeable increase in cases In fact, a study taken up by Christian Medical College, Vellore, and the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine found that between 2022 and 2024, there was a noticeable increase in cases (more than five cases) in districts other than the 14 endemic areas such as Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, and Tenkasi. From January 2022 to December 2024, 306 confirmed cases were reported in Tamil Nadu, with the majority of the patients aged 10-19. Chennai had the highest proportion at 40.5%, followed by Tiruvallur, 8.2%, and Tiruvarur, 6.2%. The highest number of cases — 120 — occurred in 2022, followed by 112 in 2023, and 74 in 2024, the study's authors (Regina Elizebeth Joy et al) said in an article, 'Epidemiological profile of JE in Tamil Nadu, 2022-2024: A secondary data analysis of IDSP'. It was published in the Tamil Nadu Journal of Public Health and Medical Research. The study recommended measures, including more vaccination coverage and monitoring, targeted public health interventions, geographically focused control measures, and investigation into urban risk factors and the need for pre-monsoon preventive measures.
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
T.N. government initiates steps to roll out HPV vaccination for girls aged 14
: Moving ahead to implement its budget announcement, Tamil Nadu has initiated the process to procure Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines for girls aged 14. This is to prevent cervical cancer, which is the second most common cancer in women. The Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) has floated tenders for the procurement, and the supply is most likely to reach hospitals in another three months. One of the key budget announcements for 2025-2026, the State government plans to progressively provide HPV vaccination to all girls aged 14 years. It allocated ₹36 crore for the purpose. In line with this announcement, the Health Department constituted a State Advisory Committee in April for the rollout of the HPV vaccination programme. The committee, which has the Health Secretary as its chairperson, comprises officials and experts. The directors of School Education, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Medical and Rural Health Services, Medical Education and Research, Institute of Child Health, and Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology are among its members. Experts, including those in the field of HPV vaccination projects, and representatives from technical/partner agencies are also a part of the committee. 'The State Advisory Committee has discussed all modalities, including protocols for vaccination. Based on its recommendations, we have gone ahead with the procurement of vaccines. The TNMSC has floated the tenders to procure them,' T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said. He added that the programme would be initiated by vaccinating girl aged 14 (students of Class IX) in government and government-aided schools. 'Prior to vaccination, we will start creating awareness among children and their family members,' he said. Another official said it would take another three months for the supply to reach hospitals. Cancer Institute (WIA), in a year of launching its HPV vaccination initiative at its screening centre at Villupuram Government Hospital and Chennai, has so far administered around 3,500 doses of HPV vaccine, according to Jayashree Natarajan, Gynaecologic Oncologist and Associate Professor, Cancer Institute (WIA). 'The numbers are more in Chennai owing to high awareness levels,' she said. Cervical cancer is the second most common among women after breast cancer. However, it is still the most prevalent cancer in some rural areas, she said, adding: 'Vaccination is not going to prevent cervical cancer alone. It will prevent pre-invasive lesions that progress to cancer.' There are no concerns regarding the safety of the vaccines, she says. 'HPV vaccination programmes have been implemented in places such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. These countries have brought down the cervical cancer rates through screening and vaccination,' Dr. Jayashree said.
