Issues 4,986 health cards till June
PANJIM, JULY 8
The Directorate of Health Services has issued 4,986 health cards, mostly of construction workers, in the month of June itself and renewed another 1,570 in the same month giving an indication of the onerous task ahead of monitoring these always-on-the-move construction workers for malaria.
Health officials said after the spurt of malaria cases in 2006, 2007, 2008 there has been a decline of at least 45 per cent in 2009. But we are closely watching the situation because the rains began late and still another three months are left, they observed.
From January to June 2009 Goa recorded a total of 2,435 (569 were falciparum) cases of malaria as compared to 4,025 (1,204 falciparum) in 2008 during the same period.
Upto June 2009, Panjim Urban Health Centre which includes Caranzalem and Dona Paula where many construction activities are on top of the list of malaria cases with a figure of 792 which includes 269 cases of falciparum.
Second to follow is Candolim Primary Health Centre comprising areas like Calangute and Arpora. It has recorded 474 cases out of which 84c are of falciparum.
Vasco UHC, Aldona PHC (which includes Porvorim, Penha de Franca, Succor and Sangolda) and Corlim PHC (includes Taleigao, Bambolim, Santa Cruz and Merces) have recorded 205, 202 and 191 cases respectively.
The officials mentioned this year from January onwards drastic surveillance activities like blood slide collection at all construction sites on a day-to-day basis led to early detection and prompt treatment thus cutting down on transmission of malaria.
Secondly, they observed, the Public Health Act was enforced strictly to ensure that construction labourers were screened and health cards issued the moment they landed in the State. Construction labourers were primarily responsible for the ever-increasing cases in the last three years, they added.
Officials said efforts were on to see that malaria cases are controlled by distribution of nets at construction site through the Voluntary Health Association of Goa. Most of the builders are cooperating with us and recently we had a meeting with the Builders Association of India-Goa Chapter to discuss the malaria issue, they informed.
