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Title: Need to send a medical team or a team of Parliamentarians to West Bengal and places where insect borne diseases like malaria, dengu and kala azar has spread in the form of epidemic.
DR. RANJIT KUMAR PANJA (BARASAT): Mr. Chairman, Sir, the insect borne diseases like malaria, dengue and kala azar are coming back in the form of epidemic.
There was a recent report in the newspapers that in West Bengal, malaria is coming as a very bad type of epidemic. I know the problems that there is a huge population, poverty, lack of proper housing and sanitation. On the other hand, there is resistance of the vector against the insecticides. There is difficulty in availability of drugs. There is shortage of diagnostic equipments so the general practitioners are treating patients without diagnosis. That results in drug resistance and repeated relapses.
Along with malaria, there is also rampage by kala azar and dengue. Sir, the month of June has been taken as the malaria month. What has been done during the month of June regarding vector control? The old insecticides like DDT and Gamexane have become obsolete and they are not in use nowadays. But there are some newer insecticides also available. Some biological and ayurvedic methods have also been employed. This has appeared in the newspapers also.
As this is the foremost thing in the prevention of the disease, this should be taken care of.
About the drug availability, last year we had several outbreaks of malignant malaria in which hundreds of people were affected. But Primaquinine was not available regularly. Drug availability has to be ensured this year. I would like to know whether revival of cinchona plantation is being considered by the Government for manufacture of quinine, whether primary health care system is being utilised and whether the Indian Medical Association is being officially authorised to advise regarding the control of malaria.
The World Health Organisation and the World Bank also give a lot of funds for research and treatment facilities and prevention of malaria. May I know whether it is being distributed throughout the country and whether it is being properly utilised?
In our student life we could not pass MBBS without knowing about malaria, kala azar, typhoid fever and TB. As these diseases have come back, may I know whether sufficient stress is being laid on undergraduate medical education on these diseases?
`Malaria control is everyone’s concern’. That was the slogan. Is that message being properly sent out now?
KUMARI MAMATA BANERJEE:In every family there is a malaria case.
DR. RANJIT KUMAR PANJA:It is going to be very very serious.
A Central Team should go from the Health Department. Otherwise a Central Team of Parliamentarians should go to visit the places where there is a chance of the epidemic. West Bengal is one. We definitely welcome a medical team or a Team of Parliamentarians to visit West Bengal.
… (व्यवधान) सभापति महोदय : आप डिस्टर्ब मत करिये, सबको बोलने का चांस मिलेगा।