Measles cases on the rise in Mumbai; slum pockets in western suburbs sitting on a measles bomb

MUMBAI: As of Sunday, the number of suspected measles cases had crossed 740, while the confirmed cases were at 109, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) spokesperson said.

However, by Monday, the numbers of suspected cases seem to have increased to over 800, and at least 112 confirmed cases, BMC officials informed.

“In the western suburbs, the P/North Malad West ward has registered around 20 to 25 cases of measles, with the Malwani slums accounting for the most numbers, Dr Pranav Kabra of the Raksha Multispeciality Hospital, Malad told this reporter.

Dr Kabra blamed the reliance on superstitious beliefs, lack of awareness and cleanliness, garbage and other civic ills as the main cause for the rise in measles cases in Mumbai.

“Households in the slum pockets of Mumbai at Malwani, Ganesh Nagar and Kandivali West resort to traditional medicines, folklore, black magic and everything else but vaccination, professional doctor’s  advice and allopathic medicines, Dr Kabra informed, adding that people are swayed by superstitious beliefs and do not believe in sound medical advice.

According to a survey conducted by the Raksha Hospital Research Forum (RHRF), a unit of the Raksha Multispecialty Hospital (RMH) in suburban Malad, slum pockets in heavily congested slum localities like Malwani, Ganesh Nagar and Kandivali West in the western suburbs are sitting on a measles bomb, with 3-4 kids per shanty at the minimum and superstitious beliefs, lack of sanitation and vaccination predominant among the dwellers.

Slum dwellers in these hotbeds for the very contagious Measles virus which is fast spreading in Mumbai believe in superstition and folklore and avoid medicines and vaccination preferring to abide by traditional beliefs.

The BMC must concentrate on pockets like Malwani, Govandi, Dharavi, Ganesh Nagar (Kandivali) and other slum pockets where the population density is very high and several children could be living in a single shanty, Dr Kabra said, adding that even street kids in the locality could be possibly infected with the Measles virus.