Health department alarmed over spurt in malaria cases

KOLKATA: A sudden spurt in malaria cases has got health authorities alarmed. September saw as many as 8,800 cases being reported from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation-run malaria clinics in the city. The number of cases reported this year is much higher than last year, conceded Atanu Mukherjee, special officer on duty (health).
The number could go up further in October, feared KMC health officials.Mayor in council member in charge of conservancy Mala Roy, a resident of Tollygunge, was not spared either. She was suffering from malignant malaria. The majority of the cases were reported from Baghbazar, Bidhan Sarani, Park Circus, Kalighat, Chetla, Ballygunge and Tollygunge.
Mayor-in-council member health Javed Khan said that the mayor and the municipal commissioner were looking after the malaria control programme, but sources in the health department said complacency among a section of health officials was the root cause of the spurt.
According to a senior health official, KMC authorities had this year stressed on malaria awareness programmes, but failed to undertake the drive against accumulation of stagnant water. “The drive against promoters of buildings under construction, where a lot of stagnant water can be found, has been stalled. This has led to this alarming situation,� an official remarked.
Last year, the KMC had undertaken drives against storage of water and slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 on errant promoters. Nearly 200 promoters had been booked. The situation could worsen, with civic body health officials fearing shortage of insecticides required to destroy mosquito larvae. They criticised the civic administration’s decision to buy mosbusters instead of buying insecticides. Alarmed over the rapid increase in the number of malaria cases, the KMC health department decided to open a special control room to record malaria cases during the pujas.
Besides, of the 58 KMC blood collection centre, 18 will remain open in malaria prone areas. Health department alarmed over spurt in malaria cases Insecticide being sprayed in central Kolkata on Wednesday as part of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s anti-malaria drive.