AGARATALA, July 12 (TIWN): One more died from the malaria outbreak in Tripura on Saturday, raising the final death toll to 67. Burbahadur Reang (4.6) from Damdai Para of North Tripura district died at the Jampui Primary Health Center (PHC), official sources said.

An official communiqué from the Department of Health and Family Welfare today said that 1,068 fever patients were freshly diagnosed with malaria parasite across the state today, raising the total figure of malaria infected patients to 29,559.

Over 6,200 fever patients underwent blood tests across the state today; 1,200 were admitted to different hospitals and healthcare centers among whom 512 were found to have contacted malaria. 156 health camps were organized in different areas of the state. Over 1 lakh 71 thousand 180 patients were diagnosed with fever since June 13 across the state with occasional traces of typhoid and dysentery.

Health Minister Badal Choudhury today visited different hospitals of the South Tripura district. He met Chief Medical Officer (South) Dr. Samar Das, health officials, MLA Basudeb Majumder, MLA Jashabir Tripura, Director of Family Welfare and Preventive Medicine Dr. KL Bhowmik and others and issued strict instruction for ensuring proper diet to malaria patients. He laid special stress on use of RDT kits in the health camps and urged the three-tier Panchayat bodies to the process of aiding malaria patients.

The Health Minister today took special interest in the latest stock condition of anti malaria drugs in the state. “The Department is having sufficient stock of malaria drugs for the next several days. The minister today stressed on procurement of more drugs to last at least 10 additional days by the next 72 hours”, the official communiqué said.

The meeting concluded with stress laid on proper maintenance of the treatment protocol laid down in the National Health Policy.