It takes three days and four suspected cases for both district and civic authorities here to wake up from its slumber to tackle the dengue menace in the city, which is threatening to turn serious. While the city has already witnessed one casualty due to the disease in this season, four others are suspected to have been afflicted.
But the preparedness of the authorities to tackle the menace appears preposterous looking at the coolness with which the district and civic body officials are reacting to the situation.
It was only three days after the media reported about the seriousness of the disease, the district collector and the civic body commissioner visited the affected area on Tuesday to take stock of the situation.
Collector Girish SN was, however, not convinced over the situation and ordered the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) to verify the clinical reports of the suspected cases once again.
The civic body Commissioner Nihar Ranjan Mohapatra too underplayed the gravity of the situation saying the present clinical reports of the suspects in Rousapatna area of the city suggest 50:50 chances of dengue.
While the situation remains thus, the SCB Medical College Hospital, the only Government facility available here with wherewithal to treat the disease, appears oblivious to the impeding threat.
Even as the district Collector asked the hospital authorities to be on toes to meet any eventuality, the hospital is yet to have an exclusive quarantine ward to treat the afflicted patients.
Sources said the hospital is unlikely to make the quarantine ward operational by this week as it has not yet shortlisted the names of the doctors and other paramedics to man the ward.
It may be recalled that in the year 2011, the Odisha High Court had ridiculed the hospital authorities for their insensitive approach to tackle the dengue menace in the State. But the situation here has not improved till date.