kolkata: The number of malaria cases in the city has gone up four times in the last one-and-half-months. Overall malaria cases in Bengal crossed the 6,000 mark this season so far. This happens at a time when the dengue cases in the state have already touched 12,000.
Towards the end of July, the number of malaria infected patients stood at 1,512 while the figure had gone up to 6,037 till September 11. According to sources, the state saw around 4,800 such cases during this period last year.
According to city doctors, the health condition of many of the patients affected with vivax malaria is turning critical as chloroquine is not properly working on the patients this year. Many of the patients are getting admitted to hospitals as they are turning critical. State health department has directed all the hospitals in the state to upload treatment details of dengue and malaria patients on the department's website so that the state government can assess the situation at the ground level. State government has already set up a portal that can be accessed through the health department's website where details of all dengue and malaria cases have to be reported regularly. State health department has already given a clear guideline that all symptomatic cases are to be tested for dengue and malaria through confirmatory tests like Elisa and NSI.
Anti vector-borne diseases surveillance has been strengthened in rural areas as well.
The State Panchayat and Rural Development department has been given clear instructions as to how to carry out the drive to check dengue and malaria cases.