Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Apr 1: Principal secretary in the department of health and family welfare, Shalini Rajneesh, stated that malaria cases have been reported from eight districts of the state. She gave this information during the press conference she addressed here on Friday March 31.

She said that in addition to Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts where cases of malaria were detected, some other districts like Chitradurga,Vijayapura, Kalaburagi and Raichur too have reported about incidents of malaria. "There is no need for any panic at present. We have taken precautionary measures in 20 districts including the above," she stated.

Shalini explained that district health officers have been instructed to immediately take up measures to control malaria. The instructions given to them include the need to maintain hygiene and sanitation besides providing clean drinking water.

"We have asked even private hospitals, nursing homes and about 3,000 clinical laboratories in the state to forthwith get in touch with health and family welfare department and convey information if they come across symptoms of dangerous diseases. It has been decided to bring a law that makes it compulsory for private clinics and nursing homes to provide information to the said department if they diagnose presence of symptoms that can be attributed to 21 ailments that have been grouped as dangerous including chikungunya and dengue," she explained.