A six-member team by the Central Government to assist in the prevention of the vector-borne disease said dengue cases in the worst affected Keonjhar district were actually on the decline. This, even as number of dengue cases in the State crossed 1,100.
“There is no rise in the incidence of dengue in Barbil, it is actually on a decline. Since the awareness level in the community on dengue has gone up, more people are coming to the hospital for check-up, which gives the impression that the number of dengue patients has gone up,” reasoned team head Dr Gagan Singh Sonal.
He praised the efforts of the district administration and the Health Department to bring the disease under control.
After visiting several wards in the Barbil CHC, Dr Sonal also said the community should strictly follow the instructions and guidelines given by the doctors and the Health Department on preventive measures like not allowing water to stagnate for a long time at a particular place, which becomes the breeding place for the Aedes mosquito.
Reports from Keonjhar said out of a total of 2,229 blood sample tests conducted at the Barbil Community Health Centre (CHC) so far, 723 have tested positive.
In Cuttack, there is a steady rise in the number of dengue patients with more than 150 patients admitted to the dengue ward in the SCB Medical College and Hospital.
Giving details to the mediapersons on Sunday, Emergency Officer of the SCB Medical College Hospital Dr Bhubanananda Maharana said till date 157 patients have been admitted in the hospital of which 125 are male and 32 female. Out of 157 patients, 10 have been admitted in the ICU of which six patients are from Cuttack, two from Jajpur and one each from Kendrapada and Puri districts.
“Of the 157 patients presently admitted in the hospital, the highest number of patients are from Cuttack district with 87 followed by 22 from Keonjhar, 15 from Kendrapada, nine from Jajpur, six from Jagatsinghpur, four from Dhenkanal, three each from Nayagarh and Mayurbhanj, two from Bhadrak, one each from Baleswar, Rayagada, Puri and Medinipur district of West Bengal,” he said.
Stating that 50 patients have been admitted and 48 patients have been discharged in the last 24 hours, Maharana said till Sunday, a total of 328 dengue patients have been admitted of whom 169 have been discharged.
He said out of a total of 121 blood sample tests conducted, 33 have tested positive. Of these, 22 patients are from Cuttack, six from Jajpur, two from Keonjhar and one each from Mayurbhanj and Nayagarh districts.
Talking about the arrangements made by the MCH authorities to accommodate more patients in the dengue ward, he said the number of beds have been increased from 160 to 175 keeping the rising number patients in mind. “We will increase the number of beds further if the inflow of patients is more,” he informed.
Asked whether any further rise is expected in the number of dengue patients, Maharana said it cannot be said right now as the weather condition at present is favourable for the breeding of Aedes mosquito. Meanwhile, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has begun intensive awareness and sanitation campaign in the city.
A meeting was held in the presence of the Mayor, Commissioner, Health staff, contractors and sweepers.
Talking to mediapersons after the meeting, Chairman, Public Health, CMC, Ranjan Biswal said emphasis has been given on ward-wise sensitization programme. In each ward, the ASHA workers and Anganwadi workers are conducting door-to-door campaign to make people aware of the dengue virus and its prevention.
“Apart from this, the CMC has also started cleaning the areas where the water has stagnated. All Corporators and local contractors have been asked to ensure proper sanitation in their respective ward. CMC has decided to reward the staff for their sincerity and take action against the contractors and sweepers if their work is found unsatisfactory,” he added.