Malaria, dengue scare in Mulki

MANGALORE: The district health and family welfare office has confirmed malaria cases in a few residential areas of Lingappayyakadu in Mulki. The department officials conducted a health check-up for 60 families at Lingappayyakadu and realized that 15 people are down with fever. “Their blood tests confirmed that it’s dengue,” the district health and family welfare officer O Srirangappa said on Tuesday.
Replying to queries at a Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat meeting, Dr Srirangappa said officials of Kemral-Attur Primary Health Centre visited residential areas in Lingappayyakadu, including Bijapur Colony, Ashraya Colony and Five Cents Colony. “Of the 69 households, nine families had members suffering from fever,” he said, adding that, “Five members of a family got themselves admitted to a private hospital immediately.”
“Two more persons suspected to be suffering from dengue are undergoing treatment in their house,” he said, adding two others have been admitted to a private nursing home at Mulki. The condition of nine patients is fine and all of them are out of danger, Dr Srirangappa stated.
Water scarcity issue in the area forces people to store water in large drums but this provides an ideal atmosphere for mosquitoes to breed, he noted. Women members of the panchayat urged Dr Srirangappa to replace the medical officer at the primary health centre in Padangady, Belthangady taluk as they opined he was suffering from mental imbalance. It is therefore imperative that the medical officer be sent on leave soon.