Aiming to eliminate filarial ailments, three day ‘Mass Drug Administration’ (MDA) programme would be launched across Bokaro district on March 22.
Bokaro Deputy Commissioner Mrityunjay Kumar Baranwal has directed the health department officials to make it sure that people are provide tablets. In a bid to make the drive cent-percent success, Baranwal directed to involve ANM, Anganbari Sevika, Sahayika and Sahias in the MDA programme.
With a target to administrate drugs (DEC tablets) free among 85 per cent district population (about 22 lakhs) this programme will be continued until March 24, informed AK Poddar of district Malaria department.
“If the target will not be achieved within the scheduled date then we will extend our programme for more days to complete 22 lakhs population (21,08,916 patient). District health department also decided to conduct Mop up Round in which left-out villagers would be administrated with the drugs,” he added.
“Under the war level mission for the prevention of filarial disease, ‘Mass drug Administration’ programme would be launched across the district. Though identification work will continue to help out the filarial patients be giving them free medicines in form of ‘DEC’ tablets which helps to suffering patients from the pain and woes of the disease,” said Poddar.
Under this programme, medicines are distributed free of cost. Volunteers will move door-to-door to ensure that none would be left from the drug administration. “As per our record, we have recognised 1004 new filaria patients across the district,” he said.
There are strong growths in the number of filarial patients this year.
In 2012 only 350 filaria patients were recognised across the district includes 310 of lymphatic filaria patients whereas the rest 40 have hydrosil filarial. Despite MDA programme this year, the number of filarial patients was recognised as double than past.
Earlier in the year 2008 there were 7200 filaria patients in Bokaro district; 5732 were of lymphatic filaria patients whereas the rest 1529 were hydrosil filarial patients, sources said.