Students initiate 'Guppy movement' to check malaria

In an attempt to create awareness about the importance of nourishing guppy fishes to prevent the mosquito borne malaria disease, students of post graduation in social work of St Aloysius College and Srinivas College, initiated ‘Guppy movement’ on Friday.

Students staged a street play and displayed charts with details about the spread of malaria and the need for nourishing gappy fishes in ponds and wells. The programme was organised in association with Mangalore Parisara Aasakthara Okkuta and Mahatma Gandhi Prathishtana at Tagore Park.

The students who have been working hand in glove with the Mangalore City Corporation in identifying the areas affected with malaria and creating awareness among people about the breeding ground of mosquitoes, pointed at the hospitals not reporting malaria cases to the health department on a regular basis.

They said that they have filed an RTI application with the district health department seeking information about the hospitals in Mangalore that have not been registered with the MCC.

“We have got the reply which will be released within a day or two. It will help us to track the hospitals that are not reporting malaria cases to the health department,” a student said.

Suresh Shetty from Malaria Jaivika Niyanthrana Samiti which is a part of Parisara Aasakthara Okkuta too raised the same point and said that of the 60 hospitals that have been registered with MCC, 40 hospitals were reporting malaria cases with the health department.

Apart from 20 hospitals, there are also hospitals which have not been registered with the MCC, he said.

Badriya Collge Principal Ismail N inaugurated the programme and Roshni Nilaya Founder Principal Olinda Pereira presided.