Agartala, July 9 (TIWN): The malaria outbreak spread further on Wednesday with 1,422 more people infected with the parasite according to official reports. The total malaria afflicted figure rose to 26,302 among 1,52,783 fever patients who underwent blood tests in the past two months. No malaria death was reported from anywhere in the state on Wednesday; the death toll stood at 61, an official communiqué said.

Unofficial reports, however, claimed that the figure of malaria deaths way higher. The figure was pegged at 125.

A highly placed source in the state Health Department today said that out of 26,302 patients were diagnosed with malaria parasite till date.

Over 1,088 patients underwent blood tests through rapid diagnosis kits from July 04 till July 08 at Tuipuibari and Gobindabari in Dhalai district where medicines and doctors were air dropped through helicopters due to total disruption of road connectivity with the area. 136 among them were identified to have contacted malaria. They were administered proper medication. More air dropping of anti malaria drugs and doctors would be done if deemed necessary.

Health Minister Badal Choudhury reviewed the latest situation of malaria outbreak across the state at a high level meeting with concerned officials at the civil secretariat here this evening. The meeting concluded that with existing bulk of anti malaria drugs in the state, Tripura wouldn’t face any dearth of medicines for the coming few days.

More malaria drugs would be arriving in the next few days. The government is trying to procure more medicines shortly.

However, a source in the Congress party denied the report later this evening and said that the state government was in total fix about proper anti malaria drug supplies. “They are having exactly those drugs which are useless in a traditional drug-resistant state like Tripura”, the source said.