Jaipur: Health department has refused to attribute 17 deaths in Udaipur district's Ghata village in October to malaria, despite clear signs of an outbreak of the disease there. A notable case was of the Sirohi family, where three children died within a week, while other family members tested positive for malaria. These casualties remain unclassified as malaria deaths.
A state-level investigation team, which visited the affected area, confirmed that falciparum malaria, a severe form of malaria, was responsible for the recent deaths of children in Ghata gram panchayat. "The investigation also found that many affected children received treatment from unqualified practitioners instead of seeking care at govt health facilities. So, there is no evidence these deaths happened due to malaria. There should be a diagnostic test report based on which it can be declared as malaria death," said a health department official.
Talking to TOI on Saturday, Ghata panchayat sarpanch Nika Ram Garasiya, said, "I compiled a list of 17 deaths in the village in a month and handed it over to health department. Following this, health department organised camps in the village for treatment of patients."
Officials insist no malaria-related deaths have occurred in Rajasthan in 2024, citing absence of diagnostic reports. According to the health department, the state has recorded 2020 cases of malaria this year, but no death due to it.
In Sirohi district, too, three children died in Kakendra village, where 5-year-old Gopal died on Nov 5, 2-year-old Asha Kumari on Nov 10, and 7-year-old Jia Kumari on Nov 14. Bhanaram Bheel, their father, and his two other children tested positive for malaria. The deaths were not counted as due to malaria. In this case too, the health department said the family had no test reports which could relate the deaths to malaria.