Malaria cases dip, hosp strives to find patients for drug trial
Times of India | 18 May 2024
Kolkata: The number of pre-monsoon malaria cases in the city has witnessed a sharp dip when compared to last year. According to a KMC health department source, the malaria clinics across 144 wards have recorded 294 cases between Jan 1 and May 12 this year, down from 853 cases in the corresponding period last year.
However, the dip in number has posed a challenge for Chittaranjan National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH) authority, which has taken up a clinical trial of malaria drug primaquine under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
According to a KMC health department official, the treatment of patients once diagnosed with malaria (Vivax) takes a backseat as several patients refuse to take the prescribed doses of primaquine for a fortnight. “According to malaria treatment protocol, when diagnosed with malaria, a patient is advised to take 14 primaquine tablets in a fortnight. But our survey has revealed that many stop taking it after a point of time. This creates a real problem: an apparent healthy patient carries the virus, and the chances of relapse are high in such cases. The aim of the ICMR research is to reduce the number of days to a week and increase the doses and see the results,” said a KMC official.
But the CNMCH researchers now find it difficult to get adequate malaria patients. “According to ICMR guidelines, the CNMCH researchers need 200 malaria positive patients for the trial. But they have so far got only 40,” said a KMC health department official.
According to the chief municipal health officer (CMHO) Subrata Raychowdhury, a year-long vigil has resulted in the dip in malaria cases. “We have a strong vector-control teams of health workers. They are engaged in destruction of mosquito breeding sites round the year,” said Raychowdhury. This apart, diagnosis and treatment of malaria patients has contributed to a decline in the malaria numbers, added the CMHO.
The civic body is keeping an eye on the malaria-prone zones like College Street, Bowbazar, Taltala, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Park Street, Burrabazar, Jorasanko, Bhowanipore and Ballygunge, among other areas.
“Though the number of malaria cases has dipped, there is no room for complacency. We should concentrate on the vector-control activities as the monsoon is yet to come and the numbers may go up during the post-monsoon period,” said a KMC health official.