AGARTALA, June 22 (TIWN): Malaria epidemic situation in Tripura continued with three more deaths reported from Dhalai and North Tripura district. Two out of the three fresh deaths were reported from Ganganagar Primary Health Centre (PHC) division. The casualty at Dharmanagar sub-division was confirmed to have been out of institutional treatment cover.A three member central expert delegation on malaria today arrived in the state to assess reasons of massive malaria outbreak which cost 42 lives in the past one and a half month.

Asked about details of the latest death report, Director of Family Welfare Dr. Panab Chatterjee said that Chabiya Reang (5) and Babita Reang (6) from Ulemcherra area in Ganganagar ADC village were diagnosed with plasmodium falciparum at Ganganagar PHC. One Baikanjan Halam (9) from Jarulmura area in Dharmanagar was diagnosed with malaria at the local healthcare centre on Saturday. His relatives insisted on taking him back home where he died late night on Saturday, Chatterjee said.

The Central team comprising of Additional Director of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program Dr. Avadhesh Kumar, Regional Director (Malaria) Dr. Satyabrata Sen and entomologist Dr. Sukhbir Singh met officials and senior doctors of the state Health Department at Gorkhabasti here this morning. The team is slated to visit endemic areas in Gandacherra and Longtraivalley sub-divisions on Monday.

A total of 423 patients were diagnosed with malaria throughout the state today, raising the total figure of malaria infected patients to 3,636. All of them are currently undergoing treatment in different hospitals of the state were confirmed to have been infected with malaria till latest reports came in, Tripura Health Minister Badal Choudhury said here today.