Tripura Cricket Association visits under-15 national-level cricketer battling rare illness
After prolonged illness, Nishika's condition has worsened, prompting the Tripura Cricket Association (TCA) to step forward with support during this critical time. On Sunday, a team from TCA, including Secretary Subrata Dey and TCA Women's Committee Chairman Ranjan Dutta, visited Nishika's residence in the Drop Gate area of Patichhari.
They met her parents, inquired about her health, and provided financial assistance to the family. They also assured the family that all necessary arrangements would be made to take Nishika to Christian Medical College (CMC), Chennai, for advanced treatment.
The delegation later visited the playground of North Taukuma Higher Secondary School and interacted with aspiring young cricketers present there. TCA officials pledged to upgrade the playground facilities to better support future cricket talent from the region.
According to her teachers, Nishika enrolled in class 9 in 2023 and quickly showed a keen interest in cricket. She would often play tennis ball cricket with the boys during recess, where her talent was first noticed. Despite being a new student, she already had the honor of representing Tripura at the national level and later participated in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) U-15 Women's National Tournament.
Unfortunately, following her return from the national tournament, Nishika began suffering from an undiagnosed illness. Despite receiving treatment in several locations, her condition did not improve.
She was eventually taken to Silchar, where doctors advised immediate treatment at CMC in Chennai. Her health worsened recently, leading to her admission to TMC. After her story was shared on social media, many came forward offering help and support.
A few days ago, Nishika emotionally told her teammates, 'I want to live... I want to play cricket again.' However, her deteriorating health has kept her away from the field.
Her teacher, who is now the family's primary support, said, 'Nishika's parents have no one else. Right now, I'm their only hope. I want to see my student back on the field again, representing Tripura at the national level.'
Subrata Dey, the TCA secretary, told ANI, 'Today, we came to Udaipur along with the Secretary of the Tripura Women's Cricket Association and several others from this sub-division. From the very beginning, we have been actively responding to her health issue. Now, on behalf of the Tripura Cricket Association, we are trying to arrange for her treatment outside the state. The treatment will be carried out through CMC (Christian Medical College).'
'We will provide all possible support from our side. One member from our team will accompany her and will collect all necessary information from the hospital. All medical expenses incurred there will be covered by the Tripura Cricket Association (TCA),' he added.
Nishika's teacher, Subir Dutta also told ANI, 'I have known Nishika for the past two years. I was her schools' Sports teacher, and she has always shown a strong interest in sports. Last year, she represented Tripura at the national level. However, after returning from the tournament, she fell ill due to an infection in her lungs. Despite multiple consultations, the doctors have not been able to determine the exact cause of her illness.'
'She was taken to Silchar a few days ago, where doctors recommended that she be taken to CMC in Chennai for further treatment. At that time, I was associated with the Tripura Cricket Association. I reached out to them for help, and they kindly extended their support. As a result, Nishika will be going to Chennai for treatment on the July 14,' the teacher added.
The young cricketer's father, Mangaram Debbarama, also told ANI, 'I am Nishika's father. Due to my daughter's health condition, I had requested help from TCA. They came forward and extended their support to us. I am truly grateful to them for their help.' (ANI)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
CMC Vellore, Federal Bank sign MOUs for new pharmacy college, treatment for cancer patients
The Christian Medical College (CMC) and Federal Bank Steps Forward have signed two MOUs on Tuesday to construct a new pharmacy college in Vellore and financially support cancer patients' care under the Sanjeevani initiative, a CSR initiative of the bank. According to a press release, the agreement was exchanged between K.V.S. Manian, Managing Director and CEO, Federal Bank, and Dr. Vikram Mathews, Director, CMC Vellore. 'With these MOUs, we are looking forward to further expanding our reach in education and holistic care for cancer patients,' Mr. Mathews, CMC director, said. The construction of a new pharmacy college at CMC's Bagayam campus in Vellore is supported by Federal Bank Hormis Memorial Foundation with a grant of ₹13.73 crore. On a 2.5-acre plot, the new college will be a 40,476-square-foot facility. The pharmacy college will be the first of its kind in Vellore district to train a new generation of pharmacists in the highest standards of pharmacy education. The college will be equipped with laboratories, lecture halls and research facilities, ensuring that the students receive world-class education that will prepare them for the complexities of modern-day pharmacy practice. With an expected annual intake of 60 undergraduate students, the college is slated to commence admissions for the academic year 2026–27. 'Cancer continues to be one of the most formidable challenges of our time, impacting families not only medically, but also emotionally and financially. We needed partners we could bank on, and CMC Vellore has stood out as a beacon of trust and excellence,' Mr. Manian, bank's MD, said. Additionally, the partnership for cancer patient support under the Sanjeevani initiative of Federal Bank, which began last year (2024), will continue in 2025 too. A total of 764 cancer patients have received subsidies for cancer treatment at CMC Vellore, for pre-diagnostic tests, treatment like chemotherapy and radiotherapy and for medication under the initiative, the release said.
Economic Times
7 hours ago
- Economic Times
India accounts for 6.4% of global zero-dose children in 2024: UN
ANI India cuts zero-dose children by 43 per cent as South Asia hits record-high children immunization in 2024 India constituted 6.4 per cent of the global population of children who did not receive a single dose of any vaccine in 2024, according to a United Nations report. The new national immunisation coverage data released on Monday by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF also highlighted that "India accounted for 49.2% of zero-dose children in South Asia", as per statistics from the Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA). The term "zero-dose children" refers to those who have not received any routine immunisations, including the first dose of the DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccine. This metric is a critical indicator of access to immunisation services and overall healthcare infrastructure. The report said India accounted for "6.4% of zero-dose children globally". Every year, WHO and UNICEF release global and national routine immunisation coverage estimates (WUENIC). Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, analyses what the 2024 WUENIC data says about the state of immunisation in the 57 low- and lower-middle-income countries it supports. Gavi said nearly half (4.9 million) of all the 10.2 million zero-dose children in lower-income countries live in five populous nations - Nigeria, DR Congo, India, Pakistan, and Ethiopia. It pointed out that coverage with the first dose of the DTP vaccine (DTP1) is an important measure that helps the world understand how many zero-dose children still don't have access to life-saving vaccines. DTP1 coverage stood at 87 per cent in 2024 - nearly recovered from a four percentage point decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic. "This means there are half a million fewer zero-dose children in lower-income countries in 2024, thanks mainly to targeted efforts in populous countries like India, DR Congo, and Ethiopia," Gavi said. The report said in 2024, 89 per cent of infants globally -- about 115 million -- received at least one dose of DTP vaccine, and 85 per cent -- roughly 109 million -- completed all three doses. Compared to 2023, around 171,000 more children received at least one vaccine, and one million more completed the full three-dose DTP series. While the gains are modest, they signal continued progress by countries working to protect children, even amid growing challenges, the report said. Still, nearly 20 million infants missed at least one dose of DTP-containing vaccine last year, including 14.3 million "zero-dose" children who never received a single dose of any vaccine. That's four million more than the 2024 target needed to stay on track with Immunisation Agenda 2030 goals and 1.4 million more than in 2019, the baseline year for measuring progress, the report said. "Vaccines save lives, allowing individuals, families, communities, economies, and nations to flourish," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "It's encouraging to see a continued increase in the number of children being vaccinated, although we still have a lot of work to do. Drastic cuts in aid, coupled with misinformation about the safety of vaccines, threaten to unwind decades of progress," he said. The report noted that children often remain un- or under-vaccinated due to a combination of factors, such as limited access to immunisation services, disrupted supply, conflict and instability, or misinformation about vaccines. Data from 195 countries show that 131 countries have consistently reached at least 90% of children with the first dose of DTP vaccine since 2019, but there has been no significant movement in expanding this group. Among the countries that reached less than 90% in 2019, only 17 managed to increase their coverage rates in the past five years. Meanwhile, in 47 countries, progress is stalling or worsening. This includes 22 countries that achieved and surpassed the 90% target in 2019 but have since declined. The data shows conflict and humanitarian crises can quickly erode vaccination progress. A quarter of the world's infants live in just 26 countries affected by fragility, conflict, or humanitarian crises, yet they make up half of all unvaccinated children globally. Concerningly, in half of these countries, the number of unvaccinated children has expanded rapidly from 3.6 million in 2019 to 5.4 million in 2024, underscoring the need for humanitarian responses to include immunisation, the report said Immunisation coverage in the 57 low-income countries supported by Gavi has improved in the past year, reducing the number of un- and under-vaccinated children by roughly 650,000. At the same time, signs of slippage are emerging in upper-middle- and high-income countries that have previously maintained at least 90% coverage. Even small declines in immunisation coverage can dramatically raise the risk of disease outbreaks and place additional strain on already overstretched health systems. "The good news is that we have managed to reach more children with life-saving vaccines. But millions of children remain without protection against preventable diseases, and that should worry us all," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. "We must act now with determination to overcome barriers like shrinking health budgets, fragile health systems, along with misinformation and access constraints because of conflicts. No child should die from a disease we know how to prevent," she said.
Hindustan Times
10 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
No warning labels on samosa, jalebi; only boards with advice: Health ministry
The Indian health ministry on Tuesday clarified that there are no directions for warning labels on food products such as samosa, jalebi and laddoo. There was only an advisory for 'display of boards in various workplaces such as lobbies, canteens, cafeterias, meeting rooms etc, to raise awareness on harmful consumption of hidden fats and excess sugar in various food items,' the union ministry for health and family welfare said. Samosa lovers were reported to be worried about "warning labels".(Pexels/Representative image) Media reports speaking of warning labels on the products are 'misleading, incorrect, and baseless', the ministry statement, shared by news agency ANI, added. 'The Union Health Ministry had separately issued an advisory which is an initiative towards making healthier choices at work places,' it added, speaking of the boards 'meant to serve as daily reminders on fighting obesity, the burden of which is sharply rising in the country'.
