Mumbai hotbed for malaria

Mumbai accounts for 55.3 per cent of malaria cases in Maharashtra,which in turn accounts for 13.4 per cent of malaria cases in the country. This was revealed in a written reply by Health Minister Suresh Shetty to a question by Sardar Tara Singh (BJP-Mulund) and others in the Assembly on Thursday.

Shetty said from January to June this year,the country saw 3,36,545 cases of malaria while the number of patients in the state was 45,141 and Mumbai accounted for 24,973 cases. He added that various steps were being taken to check the menace,including blood testing and treatment for construction workers,making it compulsory for builders to appoint a private medical practitioner for treating construction workers,examining water tanks on the premises of private buildings and anti-larvae fogging in the now-defunct textile mills in the city.

Measures like fortnightly surveys by health workers of the fever-affected people,taking blood samples and administering necessary medication were also being taken,he said.