Malaria scare in Keonjhar village; 40 test positive

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KalingaTV News Network

MalariaKeonjhar: Pointing at the failure of malaria prevention measures of the government and bringing to the fore the poor healthcare services in far-off areas of the State, around 40 people of Simnapatali village under Bansapal block of Keonjhar district have tested positive for the mosquito borne disease. The startling revelation was made by a DAMaN team which visited the village on Tuesday and conducted tests.

Members of the Odisha Government’s flagship malaria prohibition program Durgama Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran (DAMaN) made a routine visit to the Simnapatali village on Tuesday and conducted malaria test on roughly 100 persons and found 40 of them infected with the parasite. The DAMaN team made the shocking revelation that each of the 60 odd households in the village reported a positive sample. The incident has raised concern among officials of the health department in the State as Simnapatali had reported a number of malaria deaths in the past.

On the other hand, locals from the area have blamed the geographical location of the village for the menace. They have said that serious patients often die on the way to hospital since they have to cross three nullahs to go out of the village to reach the nearby hospital. The situation gets worse in the monsoon season when the nullahs get filled with water.

Asked about the issue Jhunubala, the Public Health Officer (PHO) of Bansapal, who accompanied the DAMaN team, said while no malaria death has been reported in the village this season. While the people look healthy, their blood samples tell a different story. The team is looking into the matter and all necessary measures would be taken, he added.

Notably, another expert medical team is reaching the village following the report of positive malaria samples.

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