Malaria resurgence worries civic body

With the city witnessing November rains, the civic body’s health machinery has been put on alert to avoid a possible malaria outbreak.

With the city witnessing November rains, the civic body’s health machinery has been put on alert to avoid a possible malaria outbreak.

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According to statistics, the civic hospitals have admitted 1,539 patients with malaria in November till date. On Tuesday, 82 cases of malaria were reported.

“We have kept our machinery on alert. And have asked all pest control officers (PCO) to make sure that no breeding should occur,” said Dr GT Ambe, executive health officer.

In November, 86,042 blood samples were collected and sent for testing of which 3,246 were found to be positive.

This year, the civic body saw a major malaria outbreak. More than 80,000 tested positive and 180 people died.

Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner, said the interventions that they undertook under the guidance of the National Institute of Malaria Research resulted in reduction of malaria cases.

However, the BMC plans to once again screen labourers at construction sites across the city to ensure that they are no carriers of the diseases. “These labourers go back to their home during the rainy season and return to the city during winter. So we want to re-screen them for the virus,” said a senior civic official.