- By Ritesh Kumar
- Tue, 22 Aug 2023 10:47 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
School closed in Nagaland: In response to rising conjunctivitis cases, three districts within Nagaland have decided to close schools for a duration of one week starting from Monday. According to the officials, schools will remain closed in Dimapur, Chumoukedima, and Nuiland till August 26th.
According to the report by the news agency PTI, the emergence of the initial case of conjunctivitis was signaled by an Assam Rifles officer, who had come back to the Phek district following a period of leave in July. Dr. Hoito Sema, the State Program Officer for the National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCBVI), informed PTI that the state has reported over 1,006 cases since the commencement of July. This figure stands as the most substantial count in recent history.
Kohima reported the second-highest count of cases, totaling 198, while Dimapur recorded 721 cases, and Mokokchung registered 87 cases. As per the state program officer, the number of cases will rise as several district hospitals are still in the process of submitting their reports.
Separate orders issued by the deputy commissioners of Chumoukedima, Dimapur, and Niuland have highlighted the escalating cases of conjunctivitis, particularly among children. As a measure to curb the transmission of infections, the continuation of physical education classes will be temporarily halted. The district commissioners have encouraged educational institutions to consider alternatives such as online classes to ensure continued learning for students throughout this timeframe.
Thavaseelan K, the Principal Director of School Education, informed PTI that the department would not be issuing a statewide directive. Instead, the authority to suspend physical education classes based on local circumstances lies with the respective Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of each district.
Taking into account the gravity of the situation in Dimapur, Dr. Sema and his team conducted an assessment of the conditions at the district hospital. He expressed positivity that the temporary closure of schools would contribute to a reduction in cases. Dr. Sema added that conjunctivitis is a seasonal occurrence and is expected to reduce with the waning of the monsoon.
In the interim, the All Nagaland Private Schools' Association (ANPSA) Central made an appeal to the Dimapur administration to cancel the school closure order. The association stated that schools within the district are not currently witnessing an uncontrollable upsurge of conjunctivitis cases.