TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
PORVORIM: Stringent measures by the Aldona Primary Health Centre (PHC) have led to a sharp reduction in Falciparum cases of malaria in Aldona and Porvorim constituencies over the last five years.
While Falciparum cases have dropped significantly from 153 (2008) to a meagre 9 (2012), Vivax cases have also reduced from 465 (2008) to 121 (2012).
However, the figures do not account for Malaria cases detected by private pathological laboratories or treated by private physicians.
Speaking to Herald, Aldona Primary Health Centre Health Officer Dr Pradeep Dhavjekar said there was a drop in Falciparum cases of malaria because of various measures adopted by the health centre.
“Most of the malaria cases were detected in Socorro, Salvador-do-Mundo and Penha-de-Franca panchayat areas,” informed Dr Dhavjekar.
“Various measures adopted are regular screening of labourers, anti-larval measures like fogging of areas where incidents of malaria were found high, malarial awareness drives and issuing notices to contractors and builders who have not issued health cards to their labourers. We have penalized numerous contractors for violating the health rules and have collected fines from them during the last five years,” he informed.
Incidentally, the fines collected have been Rs 33,310 (2008), Rs 55,950 (2009), Rs 25,350 (2010), Rs 11,750 (2011) and Rs 1.87 lakh (2012).
Dr Dhavjekar further said the surveillance team of Malaria Clinic at Porvorim visits house-to-house to collect blood samples of the general public having fever.
“As stagnant water provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes, the Primary Health Centre has also engaged workers to spray abate medicines in the areas where water gets stagnated,” added Dr Dhavjekar.
