The maximum city is under attack from the killer mosquitoes. More than 2,100 people have lost their lives to malaria in Mumbai in the last three years.
The maximum city is under attack from the killer mosquitoes. More than 2,100 people have lost their lives to malaria in Mumbai in the last three years. A study conducted by an NGO has revealed that the death toll due to malaria across all the 24 wards of the city in 2008 was 348. This number increased to 612 in 2009 (a rise of 76%) and to 1,190 in 2010 (an increase of 94%). From 2008 figures, deaths due to malaria alone shot up by a whopping 242% in three years.
Nitai Mehta, founder trustee of Praja Foundation, said F (South) ward, which covers Parel and Sewri areas, was the most recurrent ward in number of malaria deaths. Ironically, F ward houses the headquarters of municipal commissioner for health. Even the deaths due to Malaria in the chief minister’s ward (D Ward—Malabar Hill area) have gone from 18 in 2008 to 61 in 2010 (an increase of 239%).
With Mumbai facing serious health-related issues, corporators of the health committee have failed to take up the issue in the meeting. Of the 33 corporators in the health committee, 17 maintained silence at the health committee while nine corporators asked only one question from April 2010 to March 2011. This period saw the maximum number of malaria cases in the city.
Diarrhoea that killed over 1,400 people in three years was also found to be on the rise. In 2008, 427 deaths were registered which rose to 447 in 2009 and then by another 34% to 559 in 2010. The highest incidence was noticed in G/N ward (Dadar).
“This data includes only malaria. Other malarial strains like dengue, swine flu, chikungunya were not included in these figures. We are in a dismal state. Diseases that are easily curable are turning fatal. The dramatic rise in deaths is indeed a matter of grave concern,” Mehta said.
The NGO has now written to Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and requested him to set up a task force for health to prevent malaria deaths. “We have requested the CM to set up a task force on health comprising experts and officials directly under him and the health minister can suggest immediate measures to tackle this heath hazard on a war footing. The current situation definitely calls for your urgent attention and prudent action,” Praja Foundation chairman BG Deshmukh said.
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