BMC to monitor patients treated at pvt facilities to prevent malaria relapse

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) health department will monitor malaria patients treated at private health facilities to ensure they undergo the mandatory 14-day treatment. The decision was taken during a symposium organised by the department on Wednesday, which discussed measures eliminate the disease from the community. Though private hospitals and clinics routinely share information on malaria cases with the BMC, it is not clear if all patients complete the entire course of treatment, which could lead to a relapse, said health officials.

Dr Daksha Shah, executive health officer, BMC, said although private practitioners had been reporting cases to the civic body since malaria was made a notifiable disease in 2022, there was still a need to follow-up with patients.

“We have observed that many malaria patients stop having medicines once the fever and aches subside and they feel a little better without realising that if they don’t continue the treatment for the full 14 days, there are high chances of relapse,” said Dr Shah.

To prevent such instances, BMC’S healthcare workers already monitor all patients treated at public hospitals and clinics. “Now the same mechanism will be followed for patients treated at private facilities – they will be reminded to complete medication,” she said.

Mumbai accounts for nearly half of Maharashtra’s annual load of malaria patients; 93% of the cases in the city are caused by Plasmodium Vivax, a protozoal parasite, while Plasmodium Falciparum, a unicellular protozoan parasite, accounts for another 5% cases, said a senior health official. While India accounts for an estimated 87% malaria cases in the South-east Asia region, as per the World Health Organisation’s report, the central government has set a target of eliminating the disease in the country by 2030.

“Our programme is aimed at achieving malaria elimination,” said the official. When patients do not complete the 14-day treatment, they become parasite carriers, he said. “If a mosquito carrying malaria bites them and then bites another person, the infection spreads.”