Malaria fight: East Singhbhum sets 1 lakh testing target
Pioneer News Service
Jamshedpur
With malaria continuing to pose a public health challenge in parts of East Singhbhum, Deputy Commissioner Rajiv Ranjan on Monday directed officials to intensify surveillance, testing, treatment and awareness campaigns to curb the spread of the disease.
Chairing a high-level review meeting at the Collectorate auditorium, the Deputy Commissioner said prompt administrative and medical intervention was essential for containing malaria infections. Senior officials, including the Civil Surgeon, MGM Superintendent, Block Development Officers (BDOs), Medical Officers In-Charge (MOICs), and representatives of municipal bodies and JUSCO, attended the meeting.
Officials informed the meeting that around 22,000 malaria tests have been conducted so far. Rajiv Ranjan directed the health department to accelerate testing and achieve the target of one lakh tests, stating that early detection and timely treatment are crucial to breaking the chain of transmission.
He instructed officials to strengthen surveillance in malaria-affected villages and border areas. Community health workers (Sahiyas) will be trained to conduct Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs), while special screening drives will be carried out in residential schools, hostels and other community institutions.
To ensure patients complete their treatment, officials were asked to monitor medicine intake through photo documentation, WhatsApp-based reporting and GPS-enabled tracking. BDOs were directed to obtain daily updates on fresh malaria cases and regularly review the situation at the block level.
The Deputy Commissioner also instructed authorities to ensure ambulances reach critically ill patients within 30 minutes and maintain backup ambulance arrangements through inter-block coordination.
To strengthen vector control, the Civil Surgeon was directed to ensure an adequate supply of fogging chemicals, while municipal bodies were asked to launch a special drain-cleaning drive over the next three to four days to eliminate stagnant water and mosquito breeding sites. Panchayats lacking fogging machines will also be provided equipment.
Rajiv Ranjan further ordered weekly and monthly reviews of malaria control measures, additional training for Indoor Residual Spray (IRS) teams, and uninterrupted availability of testing kits, medicines and insecticides across the district.
Emphasising community participation, he called for intensified awareness campaigns in both rural and urban areas, saying early diagnosis, prompt treatment and preventive measures would be key to controlling malaria before the peak transmission season.
