Dengue cases raise concern in Bhubaneswar; Health department on its toes 

At a time when Dengue cases are on the rise in the state, the situation in capital city of Bhubaneswar has become the cause of headache for the Health department. 

According to the Health Department, the disease has reared its ugly head in 24 districts. A total of 1,154 Dengue-positive cases have been detected by August 3. Last year during this time, 1,019 cases were detected. 

Khordha district accounted for 62 percent of the entire Dengue cases. While Khordha district has so far reported 715 Dengue cases, of them, 90 percent have been reported from Bhubaneswar alone. 

Capital Hospital Director, Dr Laxmidhar Sahu informed that about 150 people are coming to the hospital for Dengue tests and of them, about 40 are testing positive. 

“At present, 35 patients are undergoing treatment and about 365 have been discharged. While we have 10 beds dedicated to Dengue, we have increased the number of beds to accommodate the patients,” informed Sahu. 

When contacted, Public Health Director (in-charge), Dr Gunurani Pattanayak said all steps are being taken to bring the situation under control. 

“This year, 1,154 Dengue cases have been reported. Last year, the number was 1,019. There is a slight increase which, I will say, is due to a lack of awareness. Yet, we are taking necessary steps,” said Pattanayak. 

It is not only that the Dengue cases are increasing in the state but the disease is also claiming lives one after another. While a seven-year-old girl and a pregnant woman died allegedly due to Dengue in the month of July, yesterday a person reportedly lost his life to the disease in the Badamba area of Cuttack district. 

My father was suffering from a fever. When tested, he was positive for Dengue. We took him to a nearby hospital in the morning and he died in the evening,” said Gangadhar Dehury, son of the deceased. 

When contacted Badamba medical in-charge Biswanath Adhek said over the phone, “The deceased had visited the health camp held at Maniabandh. He was suffering from a fever. He had been visiting a doctor at Gopapur. He was received dead at Badamba Hospital. We will launch a probe to find out who was treating him at Gopapur.”

Meanwhile, the Health department has ascribed the increasing cases of Dengue to the larvae of Aedes mosquitoes being washed away in floodwater and asked the people to remain alert, or else, the situation would go out of control.