AGARTALA, July 3 (TWIN): The Tripura Pradesh Congress on Thursday announced a statewide agitation on July 07 demanding official announcement of health disaster and said that the state government was misguiding the state over the malaria outbreak that killed 59 till Wednesday.

Addressing the media at the Pradesh Congress Bhawan here this afternoon, PCC spokesperson Dr. Ashok Sinha cited statements of National Vector Borne Disease Control Program Director Dr. AC Dhariwal which claimed that Tripura among other states of the NE failed to properly implement funds allowed to the state for malaria control. He condemned the Chief Minister's act of criticising doctors at the Agartala Government Medical College on the International Doctor's Day over the malaria issue and said that the CM was trying to divert attention from the failure to contain malaria.

The latest government purchase tender for anti-malaria drugs in Tripura said over 10 lakh chloroquine phosphate tablets were ordered alongwith 1,000 Artesunate tablets in two variants. "The Health Minister admitted that Tripura is having 98 % prevalence of plasmodium falciparum and 2 % prevalence of plasmodium vivax. It's surprising how the same government placed order for anti-malaria drugs applicable for vivax cases that too those which were negated in the Treatment Protocol in the National Health Policy in 2013”, Sinha added.

Out of Rs. 8 crore 70 lakhs approved to Tripura for control of vector borne diseases last year, the state was able to spend barely Rs. 1 crore 34 lakhs. Referring to the issue, the PCC spokesperson said that the failure was entirely a liability of the NRHM authorities and not doctors. PCC spokesperson Prabir Chakraborty, who was also present in the press conference today, said that the statewide agitation set to be organized on July 07 would demand for setting up of a judicial enquiry commission headed by a sitting High Court judge to investigate into allegations of failure of the state government and health department to contain the malaria crisis.

The party demanded announcement of a state health emergency, he added.

Chakraborty further stated that drugs banned in the National health Policy, 2013 like ACT-SP were purchased in bulk quantities using the funds allowed by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program. He produced evidences in favour of his statement.