Jamshedpur: The East Singhbhum district administration on Monday rolled out a comprehensive action plan, including conducting one lakh tests at the earliest to identify the sick and ensure timely treatment, to curb the spread of malaria.The drive is part of the measures undertaken by the administration after five deaths due to malaria and 1,036 cases were reported between June 29 and July 5.The health department has conducted 22,287 malaria tests during the period. The remaining 77,713 tests would be carried out on a mission mode at the earliest, officials said.Reviewing malaria control measures, deputy commissioner (DC) Rajiv Ranjan directed health officials to train sahiyas in rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and involve them in village-level testing drives across panchayats. He also ordered strict monitoring of anti-malarial drug compliance through photo-based verification, whatsapp updates, and GPS-based reporting.Block development officers (BDOs) were asked to ensure daily field inspections, identify vector-borne disease cases and submit reports for prompt medical intervention. They were also directed to regularly review the progress of malaria containment efforts.To strengthen emergency response, the DC instructed BDOs and medical officers in-charge (MOICs) to coordinate closely and ensure ambulances are available without delay. “Ensure that an ambulance reaches the patient’s house within a maximum of 30 minutes,” he said, stressing the need for an effective backup plan.The DC also directed civil surgeon Dr Sahir Pall to ensure daily fogging, with priority given to affected areas. Health workers engaged in indoor residual spraying (IRS) will undergo skill upgradation training to improve spraying operations in malaria-hit villages.Urban local bodies, including Mango Municipal Corporation, Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee, Jugsalai Municipal Council, and Chakulia Nagar Panchayat, have been asked to identify major drains and complete cleaning drives in four days.“There should be no scope for mosquito breeding,” the DC said.Of the 22,287 tests conducted, authorities detected 881 plasmodium falciparum (PF) cases and 257 plasmodium vivax (PV) cases.
