BHUBANESWAR: Even as dengue spreads its tentacles across the State, malaria remains the major worry in the KBK districts.Although the Orissa Government may disagree, the number of malaria deaths is on the rise in the undivided KBK region.According to the status report submitted by the Health Department to the National Human Rights Commission, the eight KBK districts reported 96 malaria deaths in 2008 which rose to 100 in 2009.During 2010, malaria claimed 124 lives. This year till June, 18 lives have been lost to the dreaded fever.The number of malaria positive cases too has been rising. The KBK region threw up 1,76,640 positive cases in 2008. The figure fell marginally in 2009 but rose substantially to 2,00,111 in 2010. This year till June, 82,289 positive cases have been detected.As expected, Kalahandi, Koraput and Rayagada districts threw up the maximum cases. Last year, Kalahandi reported 38 deaths followed by 33 in Koraput. More than 80 per cent of the deaths are due to cerebral malaria.The availability of doctors in the KBK region seems to have a direct fallout on the situation. Most of the districts reported high vacancies. Kalahandi, with a sanctioned 176 posts, had 54 positions vacant amounting to 30 per cent. Similar was the story of Koraput where 56 out of 168 posts were lying vacant till July.In Malkangiri, vacancies were higher at 37 per cent - 32 doctor posts out of a sanctioned strength of 86. Nabarangpur topped the list with more than half the posts waiting to be filled. There were just 56 doctors out of 116 sanctioned posts.The gloomy health scenario in the KBK region had a direct bearing on the resources available at the ground level. Apart from non-availability of doctors, the strength of paramedics was also appalling. Staff nurses and radiographers were always short of the sanctioned posts in most of the eight districts.In Kalahandi, there were just 81 staff nurses against the sanctioned strength of 145 whereas in Malkangiri, 37 out of 76 remained vacant. Nabarangpur faces crisis with 72 staff nurse posts lying vacant against the sanctioned strength of 90.Similar was the position in Rayagada and Sonepur.Besides, there is acute shortage of radiographers across the KBK region.Against the sanctioned strength of six in Balangir, just three posts are filled.In Koraput, four out of seven posts remain vacant.
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