The King George Hospital (KGH) here has been admitting an average of 10 to 15 patients affected by plasmodium falciparium malaria daily, informs Head of the Medicine unit P V G K Tilak. Hospital officials fear that the situation could worsen in near future.

From January to March this year, the Medical and Health Department has taken blood smears of 1,41,509 people and of them 2,087 people were PF positive and 1058, PV positive.

``Considering that the incidents are so high now during summer, one is worried about what the situation will be during monsoon and winter when the cases of malaria actually abound,'' said an officer of the Medical and Health department, requesting anonymity.Compounding the fear of the officials is the fact that a majority of the affected tribals are resorting to cure by herbal medications to avoid undertaking an arduous journey to the city.

Primary Health Centres (PHCs) set up in the district outskirts are crowded with people suffering symptoms of malaria. ``One out of four who complain about shivering turn out to be malaria positive,'' said Dr Iftekar Ahmed. About 370 PF malaria cases and 167 of PV malaria, a less virulent form, were reported in the last week alone.

The cases also indicate a rise in the incidence of malaria over the year. From January to March this year, the RJ Palem Primary Health Centre, in Koyyur mandal, treated 289 malaria patients this year as against the 201 cases dealt with during the corresponding period in 1998. In Downuru PHC, the number of malaria affected has risen to 264 this year as compared to 191 last year.

Medical officials point out that tribals easily fall prey to malaria due to poor resistance to the disease due tomalnutrition and dearth of medical facilities.

``For instance, if a tribal in Dayarti in Anantagiri mandal has to go to a hospital, he would have to walk 15 km to reach the road. The tribals prefer staying home and praying to God,'' Iftekar Ahmed said. Monitoring the situation in these villages has also been proving difficult for the health department. ``Our staff is able to visit an village in the interiors either once a week or a fortnight. By then the damage has already been done,'' he added.

The Medical and Health Department claims that the situation could have been worse if it had not acted in time. ``We have no dearth of medicines. We are doing our best to arrest the spread of the disease,'' Ahmed said.