Potka Malaria Outbreak: MLA Sanjib Sardar Visits Hotspots, Blames Centre for Halting DDT Spraying

Potka: Following an emergency meeting with the health department over the rising malaria cases in the block, Potka MLA Sanjib Sardar visited the affected villages on Monday to lead the containment efforts. The legislator inspected the ongoing relief and rescue operations and instructed healthcare workers to accelerate door-to-door testing and DDT spraying.

Sardar first visited Sangram village, where a female student recently died from cerebral malaria. He reviewed the ongoing medical screening camps and household chemical spraying, while advising villagers to prioritize timely testing and preventive measures.

MLA Visits Grieving Families, Extends Financial Aid

The MLA then travelled to Kondar village in the Harina Panchayat, which has emerged as a major malaria hotspot after claiming the lives of two children due to cerebral malaria. Sardar met with Mahavir Sardar, the father of the deceased children, to express his condolences, offer emotional support, and extend immediate financial assistance. He warned officials against any negligence in relief operations.

Central Government Halted DDT Spraying for a Decade: MLA

Speaking on the crisis, Sardar blamed the central government’s past policies for the current outbreak, stating that the virus is spreading rapidly because the central government stopped funding and operating the national DDT spraying program ten years ago.

“We now require a large-scale, comprehensive DDT spraying drive to break the transmission chain of this disease,” Sardar emphasized.

The lawmaker ordered the deployment of dedicated medical teams to every single household in the affected pockets to expedite testing, distribute essential medicines, and drive public awareness. He reiterated that public safety remains the administration’s highest priority and that teams will monitor the ground situation constantly until the outbreak is fully contained.