AGARTALA, June 12 (TIWN): Seventeen were confirmed dead due to malaria in Dhalai district till date, Health Minister Badal Choudhury said here today.Speaking to reporters at the civil secretariat here this afternoon, Health Minister Choudhury said that ten persons were confirmed dead from Gandacherra sub-division. Seven others were reported dead from Chowmanu sub-division.

Choudhury further stated that a high level medical team was deployed today itself to take stock of the situation and start immediate action on war footing. The team would be reaching Gandacherra byFriday morning, he added.

The Health Minister is slated to visit Gandacherra sub-division himself on Friday.

Local sources said later this evening that the malaria outbreak which reportedly started around for days back, shaped into a pandemic till date. Nearly twelve persons died in the past 72 hours. East Gobindabari, West Gobindabari, Malidhar, Natinmanu, Rajdhar, Manipur areas under Longtraivalley sub-division in Dhalai district and large tracts of Gandacherra, Chowmanu sub-divisions were worst hit by the epidemic condition, the source said.

Sub-Divisional Medical Officer (Dhalai) Dr. Sanjay Biswas said that the Health Department is keeping a strong eye on the turn of events.

Additional Director of the National vector Borne Disease Control Programme Dr. Avadesh Kumar recently said at Agartala that Tripura was steadily running in containing vector borne diseases, especially malaria. He said that most states from the NE region did good in tackling vector borne diseases including Malaria. Tripura performed miserably in implementing the project, the official added.

Dr. Kumar further said that there are confirmed reports of prevalence of Malaria in several areas of Gomati and Dhalai districts. The state could utilize 21 percent of the entire bulk of funds sanctioned for the state in 2013-2014.

Tripura is currently having a crude death rate of 5.0 against the national average of 7.1, Infant Mortality Rate is 29. Sex ratio in the state stands at 961, compared to the national average of 940.