Malaria drops along Calangute beach beltTNN | Aug 7, 2011, 01.02AM IST Article<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Malaria-drops-along-Calangute-beach-belt/articleshow/9511139.cms> Comments<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Malaria-drops-along-Calangute-beach-belt/opinions/9511139.cms>
<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Malaria-drops-along-Calangute-beach-belt/articleshow/9511139.cms#write> <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Malaria-drops-along-Calangute-beach-belt/articleshow/9511139.cms?prtpage=1> Read More:Candolim Primary Health Centre<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Candolim-primary-health-centre> |Calangute-Candolim Beach<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Calangute-Candolim-beach> PANAJI: Malaria dropped by over 90% since 2007 along the tourists-and-migrants populatedCalangute-Candolim beach<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Calangute-Candolim-beach> belt, that a few years back claimed to be Goa's malaria capital. Justifying his claim, health officer at theCandolim primary health centre<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Candolim-primary-health-centre> (PHC) Dr Sachin Govenkar told STOI that while 5,198 malaria cases were registered along the beach belt in 2007, the number had plummeted to just 496 in 2010. Till July 2011, there were only 140 malaria cases registered at the Candolim PHC, Govenkar said. The Candolim PHC caters to eight villages - Candolim, Calangute, Nerul, Reis Magos, Pilerne, Saligao and Sangolda. But Govekar said that the two villages of Candolim and Calangute account for 75% of the malaria cases among the eight villages. Even the incidence of the deadly falciparum type of malaria fell by 94% along the beach belt from 2007 to 2010. Falciparum malaria is dangerous and can attack the brain and cause death. There have been only two cases of falciparum this year, although 140 cases of malaria were reported in the Calangute-Candolim coastal belt. There was one malaria death in 2007 and none since then. Also, there has not been single case of chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis and dengue in the area this year. Govenkar said the Candolim PHC could achieve the feat despite the outbreaks of malaria in shacks along the beach belt. Hundreds of shacks sprout along the beaches in just one month of October. Only the shack owner and his family are Goan, all the workers are migrants who sleep mostly in the open and use water stored in overhead tanks, Govenkar said. "Migrants come with the malaria parasites. We get positivity of mosquitoes breeding in these overhead tanks or water storages. Plus there are hawkers peddling all kinds of wares on the beaches and other migrants working as helpers in water sports. There are at least 15,000 migrant workers along the beach belt on a given day," said Govenkar. The second outbreak was in April/May at the Pilerne industrial estate, which has about 100 units with mostly migrant workers. The Candolim PHC staff detected 50 cases of malaria there but brought all under control, Govenkar said. Along the beach belt, the PHC staff distributed anti-mosquito bed nets and gave health cards to the workers. In the industrial estate, the PHC has appealed to the unit managements to get their workers screened so that they can be issued health cards. "But since this is not happening, we have written to the Goa industrial development corporation to enforce our directive. Our health centre has also employed a dedicated person to take blood slides at the industrial estate," Govenkar said. The health officer gives all credit to his staff. The PHC issues around 7,000 health cards every year. It also introduced larvivorous fish in over 80% of the 1,387 wells in the area. The health centre also distributed over 2,000 long-lasting insecticide treated nets and collects around 3,000 blood slides in a month. It also does six episodes of fogging every week. Govenkar acknowledges the support he gets from the programme officer for vector borne diseases, Dr Deepak Kabadi, and also the fact that the director of health services, Dr Rajnanda Desai, holds meetings on every Wednesday inorder to monitor the situation in high risk areas of the state. Govenkar said the health centre is strict against errant builders who do not comply with regulations or do not make health cards for the workers. "Every year we collect around ` 1.5 lakh fine from builders. This year, we have already imposed fines and collected ` ` 81,000," Govenkar said. The health officer urges all village panchayats in the area to cooperation, especially the panchayats of Calangute and Candolim, which together, account for about 75% of the malaria cases in the area. "If we all work together, we can reach zero transmission or total elimination of malaria," Govenkar said. He also advised people leasing out their premises to migrants to keep the surroundings clean and to ensure health cards to their workers. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Malaria-drops-along-Calangute-beach-belt/articleshow/9511139.cms FN +91-832-2409490 or +91-9822122436 (after 2pm) #784 Nr Lourdes Convent, Saligao 403511 Goa India http://fn.goa-india.org http://goa1556.goa-india.org -- Saligao-Net is at http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe email [email protected]
