Several cases of dengue in Chitrakonda, the district headquarters of Malkangiri is making the locals lose sleep. Residents of the area allege that the administration is not carrying out proper cleanliness drive due to which so many people in the area are falling sick.
“The authorities are not making sincere efforts in cleaning the drains or dumping the garbage properly. Local vendors are throwing wastes into drains leading to choking of sewers which subsequently become breeding places for pathogens-carrying vectors like mosquitoes,” said a local Muna Achari.
Describing the prevailing situation, Chitrakonda Medical Officer Dr Khirod Chandra Mohanta said, “Cases found infected with the viral disease are from outside. We have also sent the samples from suspected cases but the reports are yet to come out. Till then, we will carry out awareness among the locals through ASHA workers and sanitation works apart from vector control drive."
The situation is more or less the same in Gandapalli area under NAC Ward No 8 in Aska. Dengue scare has triggered panic in the area of Ganjam district for the first time this season after detection of the virus in a girl.
Residents of the region apprehend that if left unmanaged, the outbreak of the disease can go out of control.
After receiving reports, a medical team examined the situation in the ward and also created awareness among the locals about the precautionary measures to avoid getting infected by the virus.
“The visiting Health officials advised us to ensure cleanliness of our homes and surroundings with use of biological control agents like bleaching powder, mosquito nets while sleeping,” said a local resident Muna Das.
Addressing the newsmen, Health official Sujit Kumar Karji said, “We have found traces of Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae at several places and disposed the sources. We have also collected some samples for further examinations. As of now there are no active patients but our team will continue to inspect the area for 7 more days."
Talking about the same, Aska NAC officer Prasanna Kumar Tete said, “We are organising proper sanitation programmes frequently and taking adequate measures at our level. Our next course of action will be according to the test results of the samples which are awaited.”
Meanwhile, in Bhubaneswar, which has become the biggest hotspot of the Dengue infection this year in the State, the administration has claimed that the outbreak situation has been arrested after timely intervention and appropriate control measures.
Latest official figures say that while the cumulative Dengue cases have surged above 1000 mark in the Capital city, more than 800 patients have already recovered from the disease.
The most challenging part in containing this disease has been reachability factor. We are often witnessing that if a member of a family gets infected with Dengue, he or she increases the chances of outbreak in the entire family. So our main target has been in curbing the clustering of cases. We have fairly well managed the situation and hope to continue it till the outbreak is completely controlled," said Ansuman Ratha, Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation.
Following a surge in the vector-borne disease in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, as many as eight dengue cases have been reported in Cuttack on Saturday taking the tally to 31 in the city so far.
“Contact tracing of all the infected persons have been done. It has been found that some of the patients have Bhubaneswar link,” said Satyabrata Mohapatra, Health Officer of Cuttack Municipal Corporation.
“A special ward has been set up at the SCB Medical College and Hospital for the treatment of dengue patients,” he added.
The district is no stranger to dengue. According to sources, over 4,800 cases of the vector-borne disease and seven deaths have been reported in the district in the last five years.
The rise in dengue cases could be attributed to the unhygienic and unsanitary conditions prevailing in the localities facilitating breeding of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes. Garbage accumulation, bushes and waterlogging in the city are also major concerns which has not been addressed by the civic authorities so far.
Meanwhile, following the detection of several dengue cases from different parts of the city, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) intensified awareness drive and other exercises to fight the vector-borne disease.
“Surveillance has been intensified by BMC and doctors are visiting houses. Three free dengue testing centres have been set up in Bhubaneswar,” said a BMC official.
Awareness teams of BMC are conducting door-to-door drives in various slum and apartment areas to make people aware about mosquito breeding places. Various preventive measures are being taken every day such as not preventing water to accumulate around houses, cleaning of drains, cutting bushes, pruning trees and spraying mosquito coil to keep the disease at bay,” said the official.
So far, as many as 614 dengue cases have been detected in the State including the highest number of 482 cases in Bhubaneswar.
Pradhan stated in the letter that more than one lakh people reside in Salia Sahi and if immediate steps are not taken, dengue situation could aggravate further in the slum.
The Union Minister also mentioned in the letter about lack of proper drainage and sewerage system in Salia Sahi.
The Salia Sahi Anchalika Committee had submitted a petition on dengue before Pradhan following which the Union Minister wrote to the Chief Minister drawing his attention.
Though residents of Salia Sahi claim five persons of the slum have died so far because of dengue, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has put the death toll at only one.
While one child, Susant Barik from Betagadia village under Baliapala block of the district was admitted to the DHH after he was detected with dengue, he died on Friday.
Another patient, Ratnakar Hajira from Kashipur village who was referred to the DHH after testing positive for the disease at the local hospital, ran away from the hospital after the death of Susant. Not only Ratnakar but 15 other patients vacated the hospital and have decided to get admitted to the SCB Medical in Cuttack expecting better treatment facilities.
Meanwhile, the family of deceased has alleged medical negligence resulting in the death of Susant. Other attendants too complained of lack of adequate infrastructure and required beds to accommodate patients due to which all the patients are suffering and getting more infected.
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“The hospital authorities didn’t even provide mosquito nets. We were asked to bring our own nets. Our child was kept in a ward which was already full of patients. Negligence in treatment has killed our child,” alleged Umakant Barik, uncle of Susant.
He further said that the doctors did not inform them to shift their child to Cuttack Medical till the last moment.
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However, Balasore CDMO Bibekananda Das has dismissed such allegation of doctors’ negligence as the cause of death of the child. He said," The child was looked after by a paediatrics specialist. He was admitted 3 days after he had fever. So we haven’t neglected anything."
Sources said, 1056 blood samples were examined in Balasore district this year, of which 126 samples tested dengue positive. The Balasore DHH has a specific 16-bed dengue ward, while 36 ailing patients have been admitted here which has become a cause of concern for the hospital authorities.
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“We will review the status of dengue in Baliapala, Betagadia and other affected areas in the district. Necessary steps will be taken for preventive measures. Of the 36 patients admitted here, condition of 2-3 has been serious. We are making necessary arrangements to shift them to Cuttack Medical," said Balasore MP Rabindra Jena.
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Due to lack of desired number of beds, some patients have been lodged at Infectious diseases ward, while others were seen lying on the verandahs of the hospital. All this clearly gives a picture of the medical services provided at the DHH, raising questions on the health of the patients who have been admitted here.
The deceased, identified as Sanatan Nayak of Tangarapada village in Keonjhar district was undergoing treatment at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack since last 20 days.
Later on August 12, he was admitted to the ICU after his condition deteriorated.
He succumbed to the disease last night at around 2.30 am, the nodal officer said.
The first dengue death of the season was earlier reported on August 9 when 35-year-old Som Prakash Mishra of Bihar died while undergoing treatment at the SCB. Later on August 11, Harihar Mallick of Basudevpur in Bhadrak district died when he was undergoing treatment at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
With this, death due to dengue at the SCB Medical alone rose to three increasing concern of the health department officials to initiate measures and restrict spread of the disease.
Mishra was admitted to the central ICU ward of the Cuttack SCB Medical College and Hospital on August 7.
“This is the first dengue related death in the State. The deceased is from Chapra district of Bihar. He was admitted to SCB on Monday. His test come positive yesterday following which we shifted him to the central ICU," said SCB Nodal Officer (Dengue) Sri Prasad Mohanty.
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Since March this year, 242 persons have been tested positive out of the 2,754 tests conducted, added Mohanty.