HT Correspondent
KOKRAJHAR, Nov 29: State cabinet minister for Health and Family Welfare, Keshab Mahanta, on Thursday visited Lungchung, an area along the Indo-Bhutan border in Kokrajhar district, to assess the escalating malaria crisis in the region.
The minister was accompanied by MLA Lawrence Islary, BTC Executive Members Dhananjay Basumatary and Arup Kumar Dey, and commissioner and secretary of Health, Dr P Ashok Babu, to evaluate the prevailing malaria situation firsthand.
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An emergency medical camp was organised at the Kadamguri Primary and ME School, where health officials provided care to affected locals. The minister interacted with residents and health workers, assuring them of prompt government intervention.
Notably, the region has seen a sharp rise in malaria cases, with over 2,500 cases reported in 2024 compared to just 256 cases in 2023. Recent testing revealed 44 new cases out of 160 individuals screened on Thursday. The outbreak has already claimed five lives in the past ten days, including that of a 4-year-old girl, raising serious public health concerns.
Mahanta stated that the state government and the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) government are jointly working dedicatedly to eradicate malaria in Kokrajhar district and its adjoining areas. He said several medical teams are currently engaged in the affected areas to curb the outbreak.
“We will control the malaria outbreak in the greater Lungsung region within the next fifteen days by providing necessary medicines, doctors, and health personnel immediately,” Mahanta added.
Pramod Boro, the chief executive member of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), stated that malaria cases are rising in Kokrajhar district and other parts of BTR. Accordingly, necessary preventive measures have already been initiated to control the outbreak.
He said the BTR government and the Health Department are taking stringent steps to eradicate malaria with strategic measures. He informed that the concerned authorities have initiated all necessary actions, including medical camps, active monitoring, boosted health teams, and ambulance services in the affected areas. He urged everyone to take precautions to prevent the spread of malaria and utilise the medical facilities provided by the Health and Family Welfare Department.
“Our government remains committed to achieving a ‘Malaria-Free BTR’. Reaffirming this commitment, I chaired a meeting on Tuesday evening with officials from the medical department to discuss strategies to curb the spread of this dreaded disease in the region,” Boro added.
