AGARTALA, June 23 (TIWN): The high level vector borne disease expert delegation sent from Delhi on Monday visited Amarpur sub-divisional hospital as a part of its field outreach schedule to assess reasons behind the massive outbreak of malaria that cost 42 lives till Sunday. The delegation is slated to visit Gandacherra sub-divisional hospital and few interior areas of the Dhalai district later today, Director of Family Welfare Dr. Pranab Chatterjee said here today.

The delegation comprising of Additional director of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programmed Dr. Avadesh Kumar, Regional Director (Malaria) Dr. Satyabrata Sen and entomologist Dr. Sukhvir Singh today started field outreach in different affected areas across the state. The visit started with Amarpur sub-divisional hospital. The hospital is currently treating malaria patients in separate wards alongwith the regular patients. The expert interacted with the patients, relatives of patients and suggested them certain tips for combating with the outbreak that shaped into an epidemic in the last three weeks.

The team would be visiting Gandacherra sub-divisional hospital later today, State Programme Officer of the NVBDCP Dr. Bidhubhushan Das said. Director of Family Welfare Dr. Pranab Chatterjee and Dr. das are accompanying the central officials in their visits.

While anti-malaria drugs keep coming in large quantities, thanks to the air cargo and efforts of the Tripura Chemists and Druggists Association, large amounts of pertinent drugs are still deficient. Outdated and ‘not to be used’ drugs for the NE region as suggested in the National Drug Policy 2013 for malaria were purchased by the state Health and Family Welfare Department, sources said.

While Health Minister Badal Choudhury recently said that Tripura is having barely 2 percent prevalent of plasmodium vivax against 98 percent plasmodium falciparum, the state government ordered for 10 lakh chloroquine tablets.

ACT-AL, the first line drug for the plasmodium falciparum was purchased in highly insufficient quantities. Barely 500 tablets each of Artesunate 20, 60 amd 80 mg variants were purchased for the entire state.