Bijapur | Correspondent: Two girl students diagnosed with malaria died within two days in the tribal-dominated Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, sparking tension in the affected areas and prompting the administration to order an inquiry in the Bastar region.
The Health Department has stepped up its vigilance to implement preventive measures.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has issued a directive aimed at better preventive measures for malaria and diarrhoea.
He has emphasized setting up health camps in the affected areas and instructed to keep adequate stock of essential life-saving medicines in all the health centers.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal was on a district tour on Monday, holding a meeting with all the health officers regarding the situation. He has also vowed to eliminate malaria from the tribal Bastar region.
Additionally, the Congress party has formed a nine-member investigation team after alleging the collapse of health facilities within the district.
Currently, more than 200 students have been diagnosed with malaria in the district and are undergoing treatment in various health centers.
On Saturday, a class-two student named Dikshita, a resident of Chandur village who was studying in Kanya Awasiya Ashram Tarlaguda, died during malaria treatment.
The following day, a Pota Cabin student from Sangampalli, Vedika Jawwa, was admitted to Bijapur district hospital in an unconscious state. Despite efforts to transfer her to Jagdalpur hospital due to her deteriorating condition, she passed away.
Doctors suspect that both students were suffering from cerebral malaria (PF falciparum).
Three more students from the Pota Cabin of Sangampalli have been diagnosed with malaria and are undergoing treatment in the hospital.
Following these incidents, the Health Department has begun setting up a camp in the Pota Cabin.
Of the 78 students tested for malaria, one girl was found to be positive and was admitted to the hospital. Additionally, malaria medicines have been sprayed in the Pota Cabin.
Meanwhile, 187 children studying in ashrams in the Bijapur block, including Gangalur Pota Cabin, have been found malaria positive.
Of these, 20 children are admitted to Gangalur. Most ashram schools lack necessary testing facilities and anti-mosquito spraying medicines.
Decline in Malaria Infection Rates in Chhattisgarh
Bastar was once significantly known for high malaria rates, with hundreds of patients admitted to hospitals each year. However, due to government campaigns over the past few years, the rate of malaria positivity has dropped significantly.
The state government claims there has been a 50 percent reduction in malaria cases in the Bastar division.
Out of the total number of malaria cases in Chhattisgarh, 61.99% originate from Dantewada, Bijapur, and Narayanpur. The active measures taken by the health department and the initiatives under the Chief Minister’s guidance have led to a substantial decrease in malaria cases in these districts.
According to the annual parasite incidence rate, the malaria rate in Chhattisgarh dropped from 2.63% in 2018 to 0.99% in 2023. Similarly, in Bastar, this rate decreased from 16.49% to 7.78%.
Under the malaria eradication campaign, the malaria positivity rate has declined from 4.60% to 0.51% over the course of nine phases from 2020 to 2023.
The tenth phase of this campaign concluded on July 5, 2024. As part of this campaign, 16.97 lakh insecticide-treated mosquito nets were distributed across 22 districts in the state.
In the malaria case report released by the health department for the first half of 2024, as many as 1,660 cases in Bastar, 4,441 in Bijapur, 1,640 in Dantewada, 259 in Kanker, 701 in Kondagaon, 1,509 in Narayanpur, and 1,144 in Sukma were documented.
Consequently, the health department has enhanced case monitoring and strengthens the treatment facilities in all the districts.
Following the instructions of Chief Minister, state government has appealed people to immediately visit the nearest health center upon noticing malaria symptoms and seek timely treatment.
Government’s vigilance and public awareness has led to significant reduction in the number of malaria cases in the state.
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