The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Spurt in malaria cases in Kurnool district

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 29, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Spurt in malaria cases in Kurnool district

By Our Staff Reporter

KURNOOL, SEPT. 28. Acute malaria cases end up in the department of nephrology with renal failure. Cerebral malaria has emerged single major cause of renal failure requiring dialysis. The department of nephrology and Acute Medical Care (AMC) of the Government general hospital are overloaded with patients of falciparam malaria. About 20 per cent beds in the AMC are occupied by malaria patients.

The doctors treating the cases are surprised by the sudden spurt in the cases of falciparam malarial infection. Apart from the conventional malaria areas of Atmakur, Srisailam, Dornala and stone quarry areas of Banaganapalli and Bethamcharla, cases have started trickling in from other areas including Kurnool city.

The head of the department of nephrology, P.N. Jikki, said the malaria cases used to be seasonal but now it had become round-the-year affair. Also, the cases of falcilparam malaria, negligible in size in the past, were fast growing outnumbering the conventional malaria caused by vivax. The chronic cases resulted in failure of multi-organs such as liver, brain and kidney.

Mortality rate

The mortality rate among the cases which were admitted with acute renal failure was 50 to 80 per cent. The patients required renal support system in the form of dialysis for two to three weeks necessitating dialysis for six to 10 times. The first session involved an expenditure of Rs 5,000 and the subsequent sessions Rs 1200 each as the same equipment was used in the following sessions. The department of nephrology had found it difficult to handle the rush in the absence of trained hands who could handle dialysis.

Bhavani Prasad, Professor of Medicine of General Hospital, said it was unfortunate that deaths were occurring because of malaria which could be treated with simple anti-malarial drug. Analysing the reasons for malaria assuming serious proportion, he said most of the patients neglect the disease in the initial stage. Also, the patients keep changing the doctors without showing the previous reports.

When the disease results in jaundice, the patients resort to native treatment under the impression that allopathy had no direct treatment. The patient was brought to the hospital in a critical condition involving dysfunction of multiple organs making recovery difficult.

He felt that the doctors in rural areas should be oriented that any fever cases in risk areas should be suspected as malaria and treatment should be given accordingly.

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