Mosquito borne diseases Chikungunya and Dengue have taken a frightening people in Jharkhand. As per the data of the Health Department, till October 7, 1785 dengue patients and 269 chikungunya patients have been found in the State.
A total of 135 suspected dengue patients were found in Jharkhand on Sunday. Out of these, 123 patients got tested. Dengue has been confirmed in three of these. Two patients have been found in East Singhbhum district while one patient was found in Koderma district. At the same time, 12 suspected patients of chikungunya have been found in the state. All the suspects are from Deoghar district. After investigation, chikungunya has not been confirmed in anyone.
Apart from the figures, the Health Department has allocated Rs 2, 75, 910,00 for Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloroethane (DDT)) spraying forlabor and transportation expenses in 9 districts in the year 2023-24 under the Malaria Control Program State Plan. Now the question arises that when DDT was sprayed, then how did mosquito-borne diseases dengue and chikungunya spread so rapidly?
A dengue patient has been found in Latehar district whereas not a single patient of chikungunya has been found. But Rs 78, 160,00 has been allocated to this district for spraying DDT. In this, Rs 76, 140,00 has been allocated for wages and Rs 2, 020,00 for transportation expenditure on spraying of DDT.
The highest numbers of dengue patients have been found in East Singhbhum. Till October 7, 1044 dengue patients have been found in the district whereas 56 patients of chikungunya have also been found in the district. This district has been allocated Rs 16, 250,00 for DDT spraying for labor expenses, while Rs 1, 200,00 for transportation expenses, a total of 17, 450,00 have been allocated whereas 30 dengue patients have been found in West Singhbhum whereas not a single patient of chikungunya has been found. An allocation of Rs 76, 21,000 has been made for DDT spraying in this district. In this, Rs 72, 61,000 have been allocated for DDT spraying for labor expenses, while Rs 3, 60,000 have been allocated for transportation expenses.
Nadeem Khan, working on public health, said that dengue has spread rapidly in the State Capital also. “People suffering from fever have been found in every house, especially in slum areas, but only food supply has been done in the name of spraying to prevent mosquito-borne diseases. Allocation of money is happening on paper, but the ground reality tells something else in entire State,” he added.