Two more Malaria deaths; toll reaches 52 in Tripura

With the reports of two more deaths from malaria, the death toll of the disease rose to 52 since its outbreak about 20 days ago, state Health Minister said today.
Two deaths were reported from Kanchanpur sub-division in Norh Tripura district yesterday, Badal Choudhury said.
"A total of 8,984 patients underwent blood tests across the state yesterday, of which 1,674 were diagnosed as malaria positive," he said.
Choudhury, who visited malaria-affected interior villages with a team of doctors said no deaths were reported from Sepahijala, Gomati and Unakoti districts till date and the maximum causalities were reported from tribal-dominated Dhalai district.

A team of expert doctors from National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) guided by special director Awadesh Kumar has visited the malaria-affected areas of the state in the past five days and collected samples for examination and would submit reports to the state as well as the Central government within a short time, the minister said.
Asked about key concerns faced by the Health Department, the minister said lack of community participation in availing institutional treatment in time is posing a serious trouble.

"Our grass root-level workers, elected public representatives and others are working to bring the maximum population under hospital cover," he said.

Choudhury said the outbreak was largely contained in most areas of the state by Friday.
A total of 60,876 patients were subjected to blood tests since the malaria outbreak across the state.