After working tirelessly for malaria control when the cases were rampant in Mysuru decades ago, the health assistants and lab assistants who have retired now after serving the Health Department for many years were in for a surprise when they got a call that they are being honored in recognition of their efforts and services in the fight against malaria many years ago.
A senior health official said, “Their efforts in combating malaria were instrumental as they used to remain away from their homes for weeks staying in villages, doing fever surveys, field visits and tests. Malaria spread was rapid in those years. Today, Mysuru has not reported malaria cases for the last five years. They too have a role to play in attaining this status.”
Ten Health Department staff, including six retired health assistants, two retired lab technicians, one in-service health assistant and a driver, were honored during the anti-malaria month that is being observed in June.
“I must say their hard work was instrumental in getting the status of what the district has achieved in the fight against malaria. If not for their efforts and hard work, there wouldn’t have been this situation. The days were different and facilities were minimal. Yet they did their best and helped in controlling outbreaks as there were 60-70 cases of malaria out of 100 fever cases. Such was the prevalence of the disease in those days,” said Chidambar, District Vector Borne Diseases Control Officer, Mysuru.
Dr. Chidambar told The Hindu that efforts were made to identify the people behind these efforts and some of them were identified. “Most of them are retired now. A few of them are no more. The contacts of those whom we got in touch with were felicitated in recognition of their services.”
DHO K.H. Prasad felicitated the 10 persons at a function here recently. Senior Health Department officials were present.
“There were times when these health workers were carrying water and all materials on cycle to the villages to control mosquito breeding by spraying chemicals. In those days, villages lacked water and the people used to carry cans of water for spraying chemicals. They were part of a rapid fever survey and used to remain in villages until the malaria situation became normal,” he explained.
The felicitation was done to inspire and motivate the present staff engaged in surveillance and combating vector-borne diseases, he added.
Dr. Chidambar, who was instrumental in organising the felicitation, said the long-standing efforts of the department for zero malaria cases since 2017 in Mysuru district were behind controlling malaria. The zero malaria cases were the result of the hard work of the department and its staff since it took cases seriously and undertook measures for containing the outbreak with aggressive surveillance and monitoring.
June is observed as anti-malaria month. Integrated vector management, early detection and complete treatment, active and passive surveillance, malaria clinics, contact survey and fever treatment depots were among the measures of the department to counter malaria.
