Mumbai:
Malaria spreads its loom in Mumbai city. Of the 15,000 patients admitted to various hospitals with rain-related illnesses last month, over 25% are diagnosed with malaria.
It is that time of the year when dengue and malaria are an enormous threat for people in many parts of the country. However, in Mumbai the outbreak of malaria is now considered a serious city wide health concern.
With the numbers of those suffering from the disease growing by the day, city hospitals are now completely packed.
Tents have been pitched out at Mumbai's biggest municipal hospital to accommodate the malaria patients. Doctors hope that in the absence of enough space, at least a makeshift arrangement could help the patients in need.
For the city civic authorities, the surge in malaria cases have put them in a tight spot. Nearly 800 cases were reported in the last five days. Also, 13000 cases were reported in the month of July.
Jayant Patil, Guardian Minister, Mumbai said, ''The civic authorities also say that this has been the most rainiest July in a long time, one of the reasons that has contributed to the increasing malaria figures.''
As malaria spread a mayhem in the city, the state government has finally intervened backing up the municipal corporation efforts. It has mobilised district-level officers to monitor the most affected wards.
However, the biggest challenge is to sanitize the breeding grounds which commonly are the upcoming construction sites in the city. They serve as ready breeding ground for mosquitoes.
The state government has made mandatory, usage of anti-larvae treatment, on all construction sites in and around the city. But so far, only 50 of the 2,500 sites have been sanitized.The rest of the city is shivering from malaria bite.