The Times of India 26.08.2010
BMC to monitor anti-relapse malaria therapy
MUMBAI: Keeping the increasing number of relapses among malaria patients in mind, the BMC has decided to monitor the anti-relapse therapy (Radical Treatment) for all malaria patients in the city.
Radical Treatment, which is given after the patient has tested positive for malaria, ensures that the patient will not get a relapse, says Dr Hemant Thacker, who is a consultant at many private hospitals. "When a patient gets malaria, the parasites get stored in the system. So even if the patient stops having malarial symptoms, s/he can get a relapse after some days,'' said Thacker.
In order to avoid a relapse, vivax patients are given a five-day and those suffering from falciparum are given a 14-day primaquine dose along with chloroquine, said a civic official. The primaquine treatment has not been practised properly, which in turn has given rise to a number of relapse cases.
"We have found that the Radical Treatment is not being monitored properly. So, we have decided to implement proper ward-wise monitoring of this treatment,'' said additional municipal commissioner, Manisha Mhaiskar.
