Now, residential address compulsory for dengue and malaria blood tests

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is soon to issue a circular to all its health centres directing them to ensure that people who are coming for dengue and malaria blood tests register both their permanent and temporary residential addresses, if any.

The councillor of ward 24, Ellora Saha, raised a concern on Friday that in the market areas in the city several migrant labourers are visiting KMC health centres for dengue and malaria blood tests but there is no record of their residential addresses.

This, she said, is mainly posing two problems. Firstly, KMC is not being able to keep track of the patient in case the blood tests show positive results for dengue or malaria, and secondly, it is complicating the method of keeping a count of total cases in a

particular ward.

She alleged that often several dengue or malaria cases are being accorded to one particular ward but if records are kept, will show that the patients are mostly migrant labourers and are not permanent residents of that ward.

Addressing her concern, deputy mayor Atin Ghosh, also the Member-Mayor-in-Council (MMiC) health, said KMC renders such health

services for free to citizens. Hence, many who come to Kolkata to work also avail such services.

He said that it is generally a rule that one needs to register their residential addresses while getting their blood tests done. He said without the address it becomes difficult for KMC to keep a track of the person if he/she tests positive.

Citing an example, Ghosh said in case of malaria, the treatment comprises five doses of a medicine. “If one fails to take any of the doses on time the virus remains inside that person and can spread to others through mosquito bites. Hence, we need addresses to keep a track,” Ghosh said.

He mentioned that lack of residential addresses has posed a problem for KMC in tackling malaria cases in Boroughs IV, V, VI and VII. Ghosh ordered that KMC will soon issue a circular to its lab technicians and medical officers to ensure that both permanent and temporary addresses, if any, be registered against the names of persons coming for blood tests.