Highlights
KOLKATA: Ahead of the rainy season, the State health department has directed all the government hospitals and laboratories to conduct malaria and dengue tests if the patients are suffering from fever and other suspected symptoms. The health officials are apprehending that there may be a surge in dengue, malaria cases this year.
As per the government order, there must be trained technicians in the laboratories till late evening so that Elisa tests can be done in the evening as well. All the laboratories and government hospitals will also have to share data relating to dengue, malaria tests with Swasthya Bhawan on a daily basis. Even on Sunday, there should be technicians. The arrangements are being taken as a precautionary mea» ‘Conduct dengue & malaria tests of patients suffering from fever, other symptoms’
» Health officials apprehending that there may be a surge in dengue, malaria cases this year
» ‘Trained technicians must stay in labs that Elisa tests can be done’
sure to combat vector borne diseases like dengue malaria.
According to sources in the health department, in many cases blood tests are not done in suspected vector borne patients. In some cases patients are facing problems in some hospitals as Elisa tests are not available there. There have been instances where the patients are coming to the hospitals in the evening with suspected
till late evening so
» All the laboratories have to furnish daily information relating to dengue and malaria tests on the health department portal
symptoms but Elisa tests cannot be performed due to lack of trained technicians in the hospital.
Director of Health Services Dr Sidhhartha Neogi and Director of Medical Education Dr Debasis Bhattacharya have recently issued instructions to all the hospitals and medical colleges in the state so that there is no any delay in conducting tests on the suspected patients.
All the laboratories have to furnish daily information relating to dengue and malaria tests on the health department portal.
The health experts have pointed out that people must be alert if they have been suffering from fever for 2-7 days with headache and pain on the eyelids.
One must be careful if he/ she complains about joint pain and rash on their bodies or if there is any internal bleeding.
“If someone has been suffering from fever for five days, he/she must undertake NS1 Elisa tests. If the fever lasts for more than 5 days, the patients must undergo IgM Elisa tests,” Dr Gopeswar Mukherjee, a senior pathologist said.
Incidentally, the State Health department has already asked the Chief Medical Officers of Health (CMoHs) in all the districts to chalk out plans as to how to control the dengue and malaria cases in their respective districts. Special attention will be given to tackle the situation in some pockets where the dengue and malaria cases have been reported. The vector control cell of the Health department has been collecting data from all the districts on a regular basis and monitoring the situation.