Hyderabad: Doctors in the city have warned against the incomplete treatment of malaria, thanks to several strong new drugs which effectively remove all signs of the disease in a few days.
This is the reason that patients often feel they have fully recovered from malaria in two to three days, but that is not the case. Dr K. Narsimulu, a professor of internal medicine, said, “Treatment for malaria should last 14 days, and the full course must be completed by a patient. The present drug regime is very strong and, provided it is not misused, it can be effective in eradicating malaria.”
According to sources in government health circles, the biggest challenge that they face is in the villages and other non-urban areas, where treatment of the disease is largely in the hands of rural medical practitioners (RMP).
A senior government doctor said, “The treatment by RMPs makes matters worse as they prescribe antibiotics, which make patients feel that they have got rid of the disease, but that is often not the case. This sector has to be controlled if we are to achieve the targets.”
