The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Distribution of drugs against filariasis today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 11, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Distribution of drugs against filariasis today

Staff Reporter

People urged to cooperative with Health officials
Health workers to deliver drugs door-to-door

KOCHI: There are 1,800 patients with filariasis in the Ernakulam district and 1,500 of them are in the Corporation limits.

Addressing a press meet here on Monday, the District Medical Officer, K.T. Ramani, said that people’s participation in the Mass Drug Administration programme on Tuesday is important to bring down the numbers of people affected by it.

Better equipped

Dr. Ramani said that last year only 50 per cent of the population were supplied the medicines and only about 30 per cent had consumed it.

However, this time, the department is better equipped to distribute medicines and ensure its consumption, she said.

A health team managing the disease works at the Public Health Laboratory, providing care for the patients and giving them all kind of support and guidance.

But, the programme is to prevent the disease that brings in much stigma and depression to the patients because of the swollen body parts, especially, the legs.

Mayor Mercy Williams will inaugurate function for MDA that will be held at the South Railway Station at 10 a.m. District Panchayat President, P.S. Shyla will preside.

The Health authorities have trained 1,600 supervisors for the programme which involves door-to-door delivery of the drugs by health workers.

Transit centres

Besides, there will be a number of transit centres set up at various points, including bus stands, railway stations, the Collectorate and construction worksites where a majority of migrant workers are present.

Children below two years of age are exempted from the programme.

The dosage of the MDA is in three age categories. Those above 2 years up to 5 years will be given one tablet of di-ethyl carbamazine citrate (DEC) and one tablet of albendazol.

Those from 6 years up to 14 years will be given two tablets and one albendazol and all those from 15 years and upward will be given three tablets and one albendazol.

Feverish symptoms

Anyone showing feverish symptoms are likely to have microfilaria — the young ones of the adult filarial worms, in their blood.

The medicines are generally used by modern medicine practitioners as part of the de-worming drug.

The microfilaria in the blood does not give any signal to the patient of the impending disease that might start showing only when it reaches a stage when its cure is not possible.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala