Rangamati’s Sajek sees rise of malaria
Cases of malaria is on the rise this year in Sajek union of Baghaichhari upazila.
Baghaichhari Upazila Health Complex is seeing an increase in malaria patients from the union, especially over the last few months.
Officials at the medical facility said cases of malaria in Machalong, Konglak, Arun Karbari Para, Raina Para, Juppui, Sial Dah, Tui Chui, Balapeda, Badal Chari, Betling and New Thang Gui Thang areas of Sajek union are rising alarmingly.
Nuyen Khisa, family planning officer of Baghaichhari Upazila Health Complex, said last year they recorded 93 malaria patients, whereas this year the number already reached 119.
Three medical teams were dispatched to different remote areas in Sajek union for diagnosis and treatment of malaria patients. Furthermore, mosquito larvicides provided by Brac Pharmaceuticals are being sprayed in the area, he added.
Urging the authorities to take immediate measures to control mosquitoes, locals said the situation is worse than it appears as not all cases are reported from inaccessible hilly areas of the union.
Juppoi Thang Tripura, member of Sajek Union Parishad, said the government needs to take immediate steps as malaria cases have increased in the entire Sajak area over the past month.
However, poor roads in the remote areas of the union make it difficult to reach all patients, he added.
Rangamati civil surgeon’s office sources said health officials at all upazilas in Rangamati have been alerted about malaria and asked to send reports on malaria patients routinely. The health department in the meantime is conducting a malaria awareness campaign and spraying larvicides on mosquito breeding grounds.
Shahid Talukder, civil surgeon of Rangamati, said they were closely monitoring the situation.
“More people are infected by malaria due to lack of awareness,” he also said, adding that they have arranged awareness meetings with all physicians in ten upazilas of the district and sent them an instruction handout in this regard.
He also advised all clinics and upazila health complexes to immediately send out all malaria patients to Rangamati Medical College Hospital and Rangamati General Hospital.
Baghaichhari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Ahsan Habib Jitu said, “I have already given some instructions [on how to address the situation] to the upazila health officer. We will soon take an elaborate plan after consulting with the district administration and the civil surgeon.”
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