Kurla reported highest number of diseases in last 2 years: Study

A study conducted by a city-based NGO has revealed that suburban Kurla has reported the highest number of malaria, diarrhoea, dengue, HIV and other diseases in the last two years.

Praja Foundation, a Mumbai-based voluntary organisation, yesterday released a white paper on the city’s health  issues after a right to information (RTI) application was filed to find out the number of cases registered in the city's civic dispensaries.

The report focuses on diseases like Diarrhoea, Hyper Tension, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Diabetes, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Dengue, Cholera and HIV from April 2008 to March 2010 in all the 24 wards across Mumbai.

From 2008 to 2010, L ward (Kurla) reported the highest cases of sensitive diseases followed by F south (Parel), G south (Prabhadevi-Worli), K east (Andheri) and E ward (Kalbhadevi-Byculla-Mumbai Central).

"These same five wards seem to be consistent in reporting the highest number of cases of sensitive diseases over a two-year period. The discovery happened through a ward-wise study on diseases detected in the city’s civic dispensaries," Praja Foundation, Founder Trustee, Nitai Mehta told reporters yesterday.

The data available with the local civic body shows 33% of Malaria cases were reported from F/South, G/South and L wards, whereas 25% of cases were from E, G/North, K/East and N wards.

The report further says, in two years (2008-2010) a total of 28 health committee meetings were held and 63 questions were asked in these meetings, maximum of them related to staff behaviour.

The report shows that not a single question was raised about improving or enhancing health environment in the wards.

"We hope that such reports are a motivator for the civic administration and a plausible change is in the near future," Mehta said.