More than 3 lakh people of five districts falling under Durg division are at a risk of getting infected with malaria, tuberculosis and leprosy and many of them have been found to be at a higher risk.
According to latest data of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Chhattisgarh Health Services, five districts under Durg division including Durg, Balod, Bemetara, Rajnandgaon and Kabirdham or Kawardha have more than 2 lakh suspected malaria cases whereas in tuberculosis and leprosy, the division has 0.7 lakh and 0.55 lakh suspected cases respectively.
The maximum cases of suspected malaria have been detected in the districts of Balod and Bemetara. While urban pockets of Durg and Rajnandgaon districts witness maximum number of suspected leprosy cases in the coming months.
It may be mentioned that leprosy is a common disorder which has been found in most rural and urban parts of these districts. The shocking part is that in spite of several awareness campaigns and efforts, there has been no decline of patients of these diseases in all these districts but are actually rising with every passing year. And in some areas it has been induced to very high extent, informed the sources.
In a recently held Meeting-cum-Workshop for medical officials of all the above mentioned five districts at Durg, it has been revealed that over the last couple of years from 2011-12, Durg district especially urban parts of Bhilainagar and Durg recorded a sharp rise in the cases of leprosy in both types Paucibacillary (Pb) leprosy and Multibacillary (Mb) leprosy in which leprosy affects the skin to such a high extent that it will spoil the tissues as well as cells of skins.
Bhilainagar recorded over 103 cases of Mb leprosy during the duration of last one year. On the other hand, districts of Balod and Bemetara registered over 90 cases of Pb leprosy in last six months. In tuberculosis too, situation of all these districts has reportedly been pathetic and currently every seventh person of these districts has been reported suffering from Tuberculosis.
During last two years from August 2013 to August 2015, all these districts recorded over 2,203 cases of tuberculosis, with 1,055 cases in Durg district. The shocking part is that Durg, Balod and Rajandgaon districts also recorded 59 cases of MDR (Multi-Drug Resistant) disease in last year which occurs because of carelessness in taking treatment of Pulmonary or Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis.
In malaria, Durg district recorded second maximum number of casualties after jaundice and in last three years over 25 people lost their lives too due to this infection. Rural areas of Balod especially tribal belts of Dondi, Balod and Dondi-lohara and blocks of Rajnandgaon witnessed a high number of malaria patients regularly.
Dr M l Kurre, Nodal Officer of leprosy said that the Health Department is very concerned about leprosy and is in mission to reduce the cases with over 80 per cent in next one year. For it, special programmes and workshops are being planned to train doctors and other medical staff so that the figures could be reduced, he added.
Dr V K Meshram, Nodal Officer of Tuberculosis stated that major problem of tuberculosis is that due to social stigma, most of the patients hide their disease initially and it gives rise to many complications in the later stage.