Meghalaya sounded health alert, Malaria claims eight people

Shillong, May 16 (UNI) Authorities in Meghalaya sounded a health alert following an outbreak of malaria that has claimed eight persons, including six children and affected many.

''Our health workers are on a war-footing to check the spread of malaria,'' West Garo Hills District Deputy Commissioner P Sampath Kumar today told UNI here over the phone from Tura, the district headquarters of West Garo Hills.

Most of the Malaria-related deaths were reported from Purakhasia, bordering the Indo-Bangla border areas in West Garo Hills district.

Confirmed reports said the disease had also spread in Darenggre, Chunmati, Edenbari, Damalgre-Rangsakona, Mahendraganj, Phulbari and other adjoining areas.

In the past few days, Mr Kumar said eight people, including six children have died of malaria in the district and scores had been infected with the diseases.

However, unconfirmed reports said that the death toll has risen around 30 in the district.

''Our health workers are already on the field with 'rapid diagnostic kits' for instant blood test to detect malaria and to educate the villagers on prevention of spreading of this disease,'' Mr Kumar said.

Health authorities here said that early monsoons had led to the outbreak of the anolopheles-borne disease. ''The main factor which led to the outbreak of Malaria was that the villagers often bring the patients to hospitals very late when chances of survival are very remote,'' Director Health of Service Dr H Lakiang said.

However, health workers said the outbreak of this mosquito-borne disease this time was the 'unavailability' of anti-malaria medicines in almost all the health centres.

''When patients are dying in towns despite medical assistance being available, one can imagine what the plight must be in the villages which do not even have the basic drugs as a first line of defence against malaria complications,'' a government doctor in Tura Civil Hospital said.

State Health and Family Welfare Minister Deborah C Marak said the government would request the Union government to get more medicines to tackle malaria-related diseases in the state.

''Health workers, including doctors and paramedics, are being rushed to Malaria-prone areas across the state, spraying of DTT and distribution of mosquito nets have also begun,'' the minister said.

UNI