Jamshedpur: Three children have lost their lives to cerebral malaria in Jharkhand’s East Singhbhum district within the past 48 hours, as the number of infections continues to rise in Potka block. The worsening situation has prompted the health department to launch an extensive screening and disease-control campaign in the affected areas.
More than 20 people, including several children, are undergoing treatment at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Medical College and Hospital in Jamshedpur. Doctors said several patients are in critical condition, while fresh cases are still being reported from nearby villages.
Health officials said the outbreak has spread across nine villages in Potka following a sudden rise in malaria cases after the onset of the monsoon.
District Surveillance Officer Dr Asad confirmed that the three children who died were Lakhkhi Sardar, a Class VII student of PM Shri Kasturba Gandhi Residential School, Rahul Sardar (8) from Daudrodia village and Subola Sardar (8) from Kandar village.
Subola’s one-year-old sister, Khushboo Sardar, has also been diagnosed with cerebral malaria and is currently on ventilator support in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of MGM Hospital.
As part of the emergency response, health teams have screened more than 600 people through special medical camps and identified over 14 new malaria cases. Among the newly infected are three students from the Kasturba Gandhi Residential School and a nine-month-old infant from the Sabar tribal community.
The administration has also taken action against a private clinic in Potka after allegations of negligence in the treatment of Lakhkhi Sardar. Officials said preliminary findings indicated that despite showing clear symptoms of cerebral malaria, the child did not receive appropriate medical care. The clinic has been sealed and a show-cause notice has been issued to its operator.
Following a visit to the Potka Community Health Centre, a senior health department team directed officials to strengthen preparedness by ensuring the immediate supply of rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits, spray pumps and essential medicines.
The health department has intensified its response with door-to-door fever surveys, large-scale screening and mosquito-control measures across the affected villages.
Doctors have appealed to residents to seek immediate medical attention if they experience symptoms such as high fever, chills, severe headache, vomiting, seizures or unconsciousness. They have also advised people to sleep under mosquito nets, wear full-sleeved clothing and eliminate stagnant water around their homes to reduce mosquito breeding and prevent further spread of the disease.
With inputs from IANS