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Gandacharra malaria : How Tripura is grappling with an outbreak of malaria
TIWN
Gandacharra malaria : How Tripura is grappling with an outbreak of malaria
PHOTO : Gandacherra Hospital. TIWN File Photo

AGARTALA, May 31 (TIWN): One hundred twelve kilometres from Agartala, the capital of landlocked Tripura, is the Gandacharra Sub Division under Dhalai District of the state has come to be known as a deadly malaria-prone zone in Tripura with it has now become a matter of concern for the State as well for the Central government and its administration to alleviate the fatal disease - malaria.

Taking up their first destination in Gandacharra sub division a four members’ team of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has started conducting in-depth research from Saturday, said SDM (Gandacharra) Bhaskar Das Gupta.

As temperature soars in the outbreak of water borne diseases has taken a toll in the rural Tripura taking it rampant at Gandacharra Sub Division. Tripura state once again found itself in the grip of an unprecedented malaria outbreak in Gandacherra. The cases are reported from villages under the Gandachera sub-division. Though no malaria affected patients were reported to have killed so far.

They would carry out an in-depth research of Malaria in the first place and subsequently suggest necessary steps to combat the disease. Talking to TIWN on Saturday SDM Bhaskar das Gupta said, “The medical team lead by Dr. HP Gupta has been conducting in-depth researches at the area using highly expensive micro biological instruments.”

The central medical team would stay here for at least 2 months from now and would take all necessary arrangements to contain the fatal disease at Gandacharra, said Das Gupta. He also said that they are collecting blood samples from the patients affected with the water borne diseases.

Malaria-prone villages would be identified and an ample amount of information concerning the disease would be collected and this activity would persist for two months, said Das Gupta on Saturday.

To address these problems, Health Minister Badal Choudhury called for a marathon meeting on  May 15. The meeting was attended by District Magistrates, District Health Authorities and other concerned authorities of various departments. However, the meeting failed to sort out the problems. 

According to the experts since many tribal population do not complete the full course of drugs, malaria become drug resistant and once a mosquito bites them, it can infect others. Many malaria cases are reported even in winter because of this phenomenon.

 As May-June is peak season for jhum cultivation the tribals’ are toiling in fields that are swarmed with mosquitoes the tribals do not wear clothes that fully cover their bodies, hence they are susceptible to mosquito bites.

Earlier, Malaria claimed a heavy toll of 120 lives across the state. Most of them were children. According to a report of the National Vector Borne Disease Control programme (NVBDCP), North-Eastern states excluding Sikkim are highly prone to Malaria. The disease claims over 100s lives in the region every year.

 

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