Malaria cases on the rise in Malda

MALDA, Oct. 19: Fifteen more malaria cases were reported in Malda district today. The affected persons, migrant labourers all, were admitted in the Malda district hospital, health officials said.A suspected dengue case was also reported at Baharal village in Ratua block today, the Malda CMOH, Mr RR Banik, said.Mr Banik today held a meeting with health officials from all blocks of the district and instructed them to activate block level “rapid action cell” to prevent the outbreak of mosquito borne diseases, such as dengue, chikungunya, encephalitis and malaria. The officials were also briefed on how to prevent chikungunya in the district. The deputy CMOH II, Malda, is likely to bring some materials, including kits for testing blood samples of dengue patients from Kolkata by tomorrow. It may be recalled that 12 persons, including nine children, died of encephalitis and malaria in Malda district hospital over the past 11 days. The CMOH said blood samples collected from some suspected chikungunya, dengue, and encephalitis patients would be sent to the School of Tropical Medicine in Kolkata for final confirmation. n SNS