Centre wants to implement TN's door-to-door medical check-up scheme across India: Minister Ma Subramanian

With two international flights arriving in Coimbatore, in an average 170 to 250 passengers are landing in the city and RT-PCR tests were carried out on them for the last one month. However, there was no positive cases among passengers either for COVID or monkeypox, the minister said. As the Centre had announced to establish 15 research centres for monkeypox, Tamil Nadu had sought one for the state and if approved, it will be set up at King's Institute in Chennai, Subramaniam said.

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu): Seeing the success of Tamil Nadu's door-to-door medical check-up (Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam) scheme, the Central government has sought its pattern to implement across the country, State Health Minister Ma Subramaniam said on Monday. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has sought details about the scheme for implementation across India, when he had met him twice in the recent days, Subramaniam told reporters at the city airport here.

Mandaviya has also invited him to participate in the World Economic Forum scheduled in Switzerland in January next and being the health minister, asked to present details of door-to-door medical check-up scheme there, he said. With confirmed reports of monkeypox cases in Kerala, the State government has stepped up monitoring those coming from abroad in four international airports -- Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli and Madurai--, he said.

With two international flights arriving in Coimbatore, in an average 170 to 250 passengers are landing in the city and RT-PCR tests were carried out on them for the last one month. However, there was no positive cases among passengers either for COVID or monkeypox, the minister said. As the Centre had announced to establish 15 research centres for monkeypox, Tamil Nadu had sought one for the state and if approved, it will be set up at King's Institute in Chennai, Subramaniam said.

As far as passengers travelling by road, the Health Minister said checks are being held at 13 check-posts at the borders of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, since coronavirus days and checking has been increased now and even children are strictly monitored. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.

Monkeypox typically presents with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications.
It is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting from 2 to 4 weeks. (PTI)