Jamshedpur : Vector-borne diseases have started to spread in the state and the footfall of patients at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital is increasing with every passing day. Fearing that the situation might get worse, the hospital authorities are bracing themselves to tackle the problem.
Patients suffering from diseases like malaria, diarrhoea and viral fever, are reporting in large numbers at the hospital and there is high possibility that the medical centre might fall short of beds in the coming days.
Incidentally, there were four deaths due to dengue reported in 2010 while there large number of cases of chikungunya and dengue in 2011 with one death due to dengue.
In 2012, there eight deaths from cerebral malaria were cases of dengue and Japanese Encephalitis. In 2013 and 2014 there was also no casualty though cases of Japanese Encephalitis and dengue continued to be reported. In 2015, so far, there have been eight cases of Japanese Encephalitis reported in the district.
The health centers across the district have been asked to provide line list of patients with symptoms for such diseases on a 24 hourly basis.
�The line lists of patients would contain name, age and sex, along with full address of the patient undergoing treatment at a health center.
This would help us in locating not only the patient but also taking preventive measures in the residential area of the affected persons to prevent vector breeding centers,� said an official.
Preventive measures includes coordinating with the district health department (read district malaria officer) in carrying out spraying of bleaching powders, DDT and anti larvicidal in affected areas identified on the basis of location of patients undergoing treatment at health centers.
According to the hospital authorities, almost 180 patients suffering from different vector-borne diseases are reporting at the outdoor patient department (OPD) every day out of which at least 30 per cent cases are referred for indoor admission for intensive medical care.
“Most of these vector-related cases have been reported from slum areas located in the periphery of the city since monsoon arrived here about three weeks ago,” said an OPD doctor at MGM hospital. Out of the 520-bed capacity, 120 are reserved for the medicine ward, said hospital officials.
Notably, Singhbhum is a malaria-prone area, thousands of people, mostly the local villagers fall victim to this vector-borne disease every year.
An unspecified number of people also die of the disease. Absence of adequate medical centres in the interiors of the twin districts of Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan district, the malaria continues to spread unabated.
Because many of the villagers living in remote areas fail to come to a primary health centre (PHC) or sub-centre where the facility of getting blood test and obtaining medicine has been provided by the state health department.
