Agartala: Tripura government has issued an alert while mobilizing additional resources to Dhalai following a sudden spike of malaria cases in the hilly interiors of the district, officials informed on Monday.
More than 100 people including minors were detected with malaria falciparum over the past week in different locations.
Tension is running high after the death of Bipenjoy Reang (6) of Longtaria village under Chawmanu block on Saturday. The villagers got angry with the healthcare facilities in the primary health centres and community health institutions that compelled the civil administration to ask the health department to undertake immediate action.
The officials of the preventive medicine authority on Monday claimed, “We have intensified surveillance in the malaria-affected areas including mass testing, holding awareness camp and providing immediate treatment after we detect positive cases. There is no specific reason behind the rise of malaria cases, but it’s because of the increase in the number of mosquitoes due to hot and humid weather at the onset of monsoon.”
The department has intensified door-to-door testing in the specific areas where positive cases of malaria are being detected and have mobilised ASHA and Anganwadi workers locally for the purpose and for distribution of medicines, the officials claimed adding, “We also formed a district-level special team and reviewed the situation closely.”
The Malaria infection have rapidly risen in Dhalai, Gomati, South, and in parts of the Khowai in last two weeks, which have already been identified as the worst affected and hotspots of vector borne diseases. According to the report, in 2015 and 2016, there were 1,651 and 668 cases of malaria in Dhalai with the death of three and two respectively.
