Monkeypox: Tamil Nadu intensifies surveillance at Kerala borders

Chennai: After a Kerala native was diagnosed with monkeypox, the Tamil Nadu government has intensified surveillance at the borders adjoining the neighbouring state.

Tamil Nadu health minister Ma Subramanian while speaking underlined: "We have intensified patrolling across the borders sharing with Kerala and in airports also as the first monkeypox case in the country is reported from Kerala.

The minister also said that the state public health department is conducting an awareness programme on monkeypox disease and how it spreads among people.

Sources in the Tamil Nadu health department told IANS that the state government has already commenced monitoring the borders that are being shared with Kerala.

Police contingent along with health officials including doctors, nurses, and technicians are posted at the check posts on the Tamil Nadu side to monitor the presence of any patient with suspected monkeypox disease who is reaching Tamil Nadu.

The international passengers who are reaching airports in Tamil Nadu are also kept under surveillance as the Kerala man who contracted the disease had reached the state from a West Asian country. With monkeypox disease being present in several countries, the state health department is stepping up vigil in all the airports in the state.

The state health minister also said that the next mega Covid -19 vaccination camp would be conducted in the state on July 24. The state health department has commenced a mega booster vaccination drive from July 15th and will extend up to September 30 as part of the Azad Ki Amrit Mahotsav programme.

So far, the state has conducted 31 mega vaccine camps since September 12, 2021, and has administered 4.61 crores of Covid vaccine doses. However 4.71 crore people in the state are yet to take the first and second doses of the vaccine, a statement from the state health minister's office said.

With monkey pox being detected in Kerala and a sizeable group of people yet to take Covid -19 vaccine, the health department is planning to increase the awareness of vaccine and tighten the Covid protocol situation in the state.

Sources in the state health department told IANS that the health minister will be sending missives to all the district collectors to be strict on Covid protocol violations and to ensure that maximum people are participating in the next Covid -19 vaccine drives. The state health secretary has already sent directives to the district health officers to strictly monitor any symptoms of monkey pox disease in their respective districts and to live up to all the PHCs in the area.