Mumbai:
It wasn't a surprise visit so everyone was well prepared. As Mumbai's Municipal Commissioner Swadhin Kshatriya visited the Nayar Hospital on Friday morning, corridors were hurriedly being swept and mopped.
The municipal health authorities have said that the number of malaria cases in August has dipped compared to July where Mumbai saw 18 malaria deaths.
"The data seems to suggest that the malaria numbers are plateau-ing. I wouldn't like to say that there is a decline in malaria but the number of patients in the last few days has dropped", said the commissioner.
The dip in patient numbers may be a relief for the civic body but these figures tell another story - a story of bad planning and a lack of pro-active measures on the part of the country's richest municipal body.
274 Class IV workers' posts are lying vacant at the peak of the malaria outbreak. This is the staff that is responsible for the hygiene in hospitals.
286 posts of nurses are not filled. NDTV also met at least three nursing students who have taken ill and are now awaiting the result of their blood tests. All of them complain of fever, headaches and chills. And even as hospitals are overflowing with patients, 5-7 percent of doctors treating them have fallen ill.
40 per cent of the portable fogging machines are not working. Besides these, the municipal body has seven vehicle-mounted fogging machines. Only two are currently in working condition.
A lot of hue and cry was made over the 2500-odd construction sites that employ over two lakh migrant workers. With stagnant water, these are ready breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Only 50 sites have anti-larvae treatment in place. What's more, there is a shortfall of oil stock required for anti-larvae treatment. The new stock of M L oil will come in only next week. By the corporation's own admission, the current stock of expensive oil has not been as effective in tackling the problem.
From outsourcing testing of blood samples to walk-in interviews for nurses, the municipal corporation is now resorting to measures like these to tackle the menace of monsoon illnesses.
Municipal Commissioner Swadhin Kshatriya told NDTV, "A massive cleanup drive is underway. We believe that awareness is also increased among people. We have also identified areas from where we getting maximum patients."
But for a city that has been on the edge for over a month now, these measures perhaps do little to pacify the anguish.
The natural question citizens are asking - why has the municipality been caught so unprepared for a situation that arises every year?