Carrot & stick policy helped curb malaria?

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has used a carrot and stick policy to motivate its staff to control rising malaria cases in the city.

For the first time, the civic body has sent letters of appreciation and criticism to officials involved in malaria control operations in the city.

BMC officials said this has motivated them to work in a positive way and has resulted in bringing down the menace.

“We felt the need of encouraging people involved in malaria control program. Senior officials personally sent letters of appreciation to people who had done good work in their respective wards to control mosquito menace. People who had not done much were also pulled up and criticized,” said Dr A Bandiwadekar, executive health officer of the BMC.

According to BMC health officials, there was a 60% dip in malaria positive cases in the city. The BMC had launched a massive anti-malaria plan last year.

In June 2010, the city had reported 5,866 malaria positive cases and three deaths, while there were 3,637 positive cases and seven deaths in June this year.

In July 2010, there were 17,138 positive cases and 18 deaths. But in July this year, the number has drastically fallen to 2,271 and there have been three deaths.

“During the dry spell, we detected breeding areas and used methods to curb it. ML oil was sprayed regularly. Once splashed on the water, the oil creates a thin film that cuts down oxygen supply to the larvae and their growth is arrested,” said an official from insecticide department of the BMC.

The doctors are now worried about rising number of gastroenteritis and other stomach ailments in the city.

Doctors said cases of stomach ailments may rise during the festive season due to rain.

Dr Pratit Samdhani, consulting physician at Jaslok hospital, said: “This year we are getting more cases of stomach ailments like diarrhoea than malaria. Malaria figures are not at all alarming. People should avoid eating out and drink boiled water.”