AGARTALA, August 29 (TIWN): Minister of health, Mr. Badal Choudhury on Thursday said, the outspread of carrier - borne diseases like dengue, malaria and encephalitis were not solely to be blamed on the department of health and family welfare. He pointed out to the unawareness amongst the locals about the growing epidemics and added in a retort that the stitch in time could have saved the precious lives of many.

It is to be noted that, according to official records, in the past two and a half months, over two lakh twenty thousand  patients were taken to hospitals, infected with various types of fever, amongst them, fifty one thousand were confirmed with dengue or malaria and eighty two are already dead.

Though Mr. Choudhury accepted claims of outspread of malaria and dengue epidemic, he vehemently denied claims of recorded deaths to encephalitis. He added that though in the neighboring states of Assam and West Bengal several deaths were recorded to encephalitis, Tripura had no such records of death.

Attending an one day workshop on eye donation for health care workers at Pragya Bhavan , organized by the National Health Mission, the newly appointed minister of health and family welfare congratulated the health workers and doctors for their steady service even in endemic disease affected zones , promising upgraded health care facilities in the state in near future.

Answering why the health care sector still lacked necessities, Mr. Choudhury blamed the radical militant activities in the state from the later 1980s till early 2000 which had curbed the infrastructural development of the state for the time being.

The Minister also criticized the nongovernmental organizations which were entrusted with the development of the rural sectors, but have now turned into profit-making institutions. He emphasized on the necessity of ethics amongst health care workers.