Malaria deaths rattle govt in dengue season

KOLKATA: The death of four malaria patients at Bankura Medical College has prompted the health department to initiate an internal probe to find out the lacunae in the referral system for treating malaria patients.
"Bankura Medical College is the highest referral centre at Bankura District. Four patients dying in quick succession at that facility is really a reason for introspection," said a senior official in-charge of the malaria section.
"Our officials of the public health department and vector borne disease surveillance section have gone to the hospitals to gather a clear picture of the treatment procedure," said a senior official.
Officials spent the whole day studying bed tickets to figure out the treatment given to the patients who had died from malaria, said hospital sources.
"Senior officials from health secretariat had come for a routine inquiry and they spent the whole day talking to the doctors and nurses of the department. They also collected information about the when these patients had come and in what stage," said a senior administrative official of the hospital.
Health department sources further revealed that the situation of malaria deaths in Bankura and Purulia has improved quite a lot in 2011.
"The main purpose is to find out the fault and where it occurred. A patient dying of malaria at the medical college is not acceptable. We wish to find where the delay occurred and in which place of network it happened," said Shankar Saha, deputy director in charge of malaria section.
With dengue sweeping Kolkata and adjoining districts, the malaria deaths have led to major concern. In Kolkata and Salt Lake, the administration spent weeks trying to play down the dengue menace but it can no longer ignore the threat now. "We are investigating the death of these malaria deaths. It is a routine process," said Asit Biswas, health department spokesperson.