------------
VACCINATION THE SOLUTION
* Health Minister Francisco D’Souza says government has taken all the measures to detect and treat promptly the KFD
* For the first dose 352 came forward and in the same village for the second dose, only 212 people turned up
* Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar says steps initiated based on instructions of central government
------
PANAJI: Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Wednesday assured to set in motion the process of notifying monkeys as ‘vermin’ along with wild boar, even as independent MLA Vijai Sardesai slammed the government for failing in its efforts to deal with the issue of monkey fever or Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), which he said, is a medical emergency affecting regions across the Western Ghats including Goa.
Speaking on the issue during a calling attention motion raised by Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Rane, Sardesai said that the disease has been seen even in Cotigao areas and that statewide coordinated action was needed.
“There is incidence of this disease even in Cotigao. Not just Sattari, the entire Western Ghats region of this state is needed to be screened. If people are not turning up for vaccines it means that your awareness programmes are failing,” Sardesai said.
Earlier Health Minister Francisco D’Souza said that the government has studied the issue and has taken all the measures to detect and treat promptly the KFD.
“The way out of this is vaccination. The problem is people are not coming forward for vaccinations. For the first dose 352 came forward and in the same village for the second dose only 212 people turned up,” D’Souza said adding that the numbers kept dropping for subsequent doses.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said that the government would deal with the monkey menace.
"We have already initiated steps based on instructions of central government. We will do it as early as possible," he said.
The vaccine is to be given in eight doses over a period of eight years, the minister said.
KFD is a viral disease transmitted by ticks that are usually found on monkeys. After the monkey dies the kicks are known to crawl towards human habitation where they can infect humans. However, no human to human transmission is known.
There is no specific treatment for the disease except for treatment of the symptoms and protective care.
Former Health Minister Vishwajit Rane called for screening of the entire population of the region especially those who live in the rural talukas of Goa.
D’Souza said that this was not necessary since it wasn’t a contagious disease.
A total of 19 cases have been detected in Pali village in Sattari taluka while Koparde village saw four cases. The villages of Bhuipal, Kudehe, Hedode, Mauxi, Valpoi, Kansai witnessed one case each last year between January to May. One person from Pali succumbed to the disease last year. However Since December last year a total of 12 cases have been detected in Mauxi, Zarme and Kopardem.
