India : June declared anti-malaria month yet Health dept short of drugs, machines

Via Indian Express, the whole report :

" The Health authorities are observing June as anti-malaria month, with an aim to spread awareness about preventive methods to control the disease. The health branch itself, however, has not set its own house in proper order, as the anti-larvae wing is yet to receive Peritherm — the spray medicine to kill mosquitoes.

Also, the anti-larvae wing is supposed to do door-to-door spray, but a few spray machines that it has are out of order. The MC health branch has also not yet checked whether their fogging machines are working or not.

District health officer Dr G P Mangla, however, said, “We have clearly instructed the MC authorities to start with the fogging exercise, so that the 2008 outbreak is not repeated.

So far, we have 18 teams of anti-larvae wing and the spray machines are in proper order. But co-ordination with the MC is a must, as our team cannot cover more than 4.5 lakh houses within the MC limits.”

He said, “We have some Peritherm stocked up and more will be purchased soon. But the residents should also take measures on their own, rather than depending upon the department.”

Health authorities, meanwhile, claimed they have started meeting with the senior medical officers (SMOs) to sensitise their staff. In 2008, the MC authorities had not done the fogging, which had led to an epidemic of dengue and malaria in Ludhiana."