Has Arthur Road Jail been stung by malaria?

Jail authorities order extra doses of anti-malaria drugs from BMC

Has Arthur Road Jail been stung by malaria?

Jail authorities order extra doses of anti-malaria drugs from BMC

Authorities at Arthur Road Jail asked for extra doses of anti-malaria medication from the civic body last week, pointing to the possibility that some of the 2,000-odd inmates may be suffering from malaria.

Usually, jail authorities have the required purchasing power to procure medication for treatment of jail inmates, but the fact that they have requested the civic body to supply them with extra doses of chloroquine and primaquine, drugs used for malaria treatment, indicates that some jail inmates may have contracted malaria.

Arthur Road Jail is located in the G South area, which has seen the maximum number of malaria cases so far.

This year in March, April and May, 771, 643 and 948 cases of malaria, respectively, have been recorded in theu00a0 area.

"Owing to the weather, they have taken ill. Jail doctors are providing them with the required treatment and if they need hospitalisation, we will shift them to JJ hospital," said Rajendra Dhamne, Superintendent, Arthur Road Jail.

Sources, however, say that at present, at least three or four people in the prison are suffering from malaria.
"Malaria is a vector-borne disease and even if two or three people test positive, there is always a chance of more people contracting it," he added.

Dr Anil Bandivdekar, executive health officer, BMC, confirmed the request for malaria-treatment drugs. "Jail authorities have requested us for malaria drugs."

Meanwhile, a medical officer from G south ward said, "We will send the jail authorities 500 units of chloroquine and primaquine each at the earliest."