The Border Security Force (BSF) has initiated an innovative plan, called "Intensified Malaria Action Plan," in the wake of increasing number of jawans falling ill due to malaria in Tripura. The action plan includes the provision of facemasks to jawans posted on the border.
Nineteen sentinels posted on Tripura-Mizoram sector have lost their lives due to malaria in the last three years.The BSF and the CRPF jawans deployed to man the border and contain the extremist activities, fall prey to the dreadful disease. In most of the cases, the affected personnel are given treatment at local health centres.
The ailing soldiers recover, but the illness recurs.
Out of the over 8,000 BSF soldiers hit by malaria this year, eight soldiers have died.
Besides the use of mosquito repellent creams, powerful drugs, malaria detection kit and use of mosquito nets, the BSF has recently made it mandatory for all its personnel posted in the border areas to wear facemasks and gloves all the time to prevent mosquito bites.
Frequent deaths due to malaria spurred A Jayapal, former BSF commandant of the Tripura-Cachar-Mizoram (TCM) frontier, to introduce the unique 'face net' to combat 'Enemy No. 1' - malaria.
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However, after the soldiers complained of visibility problem due to the 'face-net,' the BSF has planned to modify it and rectify the defects.
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Source-ANI
LIN/M