Goa health department appoints Dr Geeta Kakodkar as a new health director who took over the charge on Monday replacing he earlier director Dr Ira Almeida who now now posted as the director of national health mission, stated the report.
Meanwhile, Dr Kakodkar who took the charge from Dr Almeida has decided to focus on the Lifestyle Deceases as a part of her mission in the department.
According to the report, Dr Kakodkar joined the department in year 1991 and she was serving as a project director of GSACS (Goa State Aids Control Society) for the past 10 months before joining the health department as Director.
Dr Kakodkar has also served the position of deputy director at the director of public health and medical superintendent at Asilo hospital, Mapusa after getting promoted from the post of Deputy director, stated the report.
“My priority would be to improve the existing programmes by the government. Now that Covid cases are low, and our vaccination has been very successful, we can focus on other areas, including prevention and early detection of lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension,” Kakodkar said.
“We also need to inculcate good food habits and exercise in school-going children to prevent childhood obesity, which leads to lifestyle diseases in even the very young,” she added.
Almeida, who was earlier the deputy director, held the post of director after Dr Jose D’Sa completed his term in September last year. D’Sa had retired two years ago but was given an extension twice and was relieved on completion of his term in September.
