Even as casualties of leptospirosis are on the rise, and over 200 cases were reported from the Malabar region in August alone, field-level investigations in the affected areas are few and far between.
Regional cells for prevention of epidemics and infectious diseases (RPEID) at government medical colleges in the region that are supposed to investigate outbreaks of communicable diseases and suggest control measures are reportedly inactive. Their other tasks are to collect, assemble, and report surveillance data on communicable diseases to the Health Department. These cells are attached to the community medicine department of medical colleges.
The RPEID cell at Government Medical College, Kozhikode, is supposed to coordinate with the department in disease surveillance and help in epidemic response in north Kerala. The Government Medical College at Manjeri too has an RPEID cell for Malappuram district.
However, sources told The Hindu that the cells in both Manjeri and Kozhikode were yet to take up any comprehensive study on leptospirosis-affected areas. As many as 241 cases, 57 confirmed and 184 probable, were reported from the Kozhikode medical college in August alone. There were seven confirmed deaths and 26 probable deaths. The highest number of confirmed cases, 40, was from Kozhikode district, and Malappuram came second with nine cases.
Sources said that postgraduate students of the Kozhikode medical college, who normally are assigned to take up field-level research, had been sent to handle the temporary clinics set up in various parts of the district. Their absence is also felt in wards, which are seeing a rise in the number of leptospirosis cases over the past few weeks.
An official in the Medical Education Department claimed that it was the duty of the State PEID cell to direct the regional cells to conduct investigations and allot funds for the purpose, without which the research would be confined to inpatient wards. Staff shortage could also be another problem, he added.
However, P.S. Indu, one of the coordinators of the State PEID cell, told The Hindu that there had been no glitches in field-level activities under the government medical colleges in Kozhikode and Malappuram, and the medical staff were on their job already.
