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The Union Secretary for Health and Family Welfare, Shri P.K. Hota has said that about 106 doctors (consisting of 33 physicians including 6 psychiatrists and 25 public health specialists have been mobilized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the wake of the Tsunami. Addressing a press conference jointly with the Union Secretary for Information and Broadcasting, Shri Navin Chawla, the Health and Family Welfare Secretary said that these doctors have been deployed mostly in Andaman and Nicobar islands (62) but also in other parts of the country which were affected by tsunami. In addition 20 staff nurses and 73 paramedics have been sent to the islands. These doctors are in addition to the Army Medical Corps and the local health specialists.
The Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss and the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Panabaka Lakshmi have both visited the affected areas in the south and are monitoring the dispatch of manpower and medicines to the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
The control room in the Nirman Bhavan is continuing to function round the clock and coordinating the relief activities.
Rs. one crore worth of emergency medicines have been supplied to Pondicherry, Andaman and Nicobar islands and Kerala. About Rs. 80 lakhs worth of medicines have been dispatched to Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Rs. one crore has been placed at the disposal of Government of Tamilnadu to procure emergency medicines.
A few cases of measles have been reported from 29.12.2004 in Cuddalore and Puduchattiram village, which appears to be not a result of Tsunami as per information available. The occurrence suggests that the incubation period is prior to Tsunami. A central team stationed at Pondicherry including members from ICMR is at the site to investigate the incidence. Immunization against measles is going on in the affected areas with the assistance of UNICEF, WHO.
Additional money as requested by the Government of Andhra Pradesh is being released today for organizing immunization camps in the state.
A team of homeopaths has also been sent to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
EK/MK
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