Odishatv Bureau

Barbil/Cuttack: Within a week of its outbreak, Dengue has assumed alarming proportions in Keonjhar and Cuttack districts.

Reports from Keonjhar district said the situation in the mining area of Barbil has become critical with the rise in number of patients.

Dr Kabindra Prasad Sahu, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), informed that of the 706 blood samples tested so far, 246 have turned out positive.

“There has been no death of any patient so far. There have been four referral cases. But I have come to know from the news channels that six patients from the district have been referred to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. I think the two patients might be from Barbil, who have been directly admitted to the medical college,” Das added.

He said till date, a total of 19 patients, including adults and the children, have been admitted to the district headquarters hospital while 15 patients have been admitted in the Barbil Community Health Centre (CHC). “The condition of all the patients is stable now,” he informed.

Talking about preventive measures taken by the Health department, Sahu said cleaning and sanitation work has been taken up in Keonjhar, Barbil and Joda. “The Health department has also launched an awareness campaign to apprise the people of the preventive measures against the vector-borne disease,” he added.

Reports from Cuttack said 21 patients have been admitted to SCB Medical College of which one patient has been admitted in the ICU after his condition has become critical.

Panic has gripped Jagatpur Industrial Estate area on the outskirts of the city as the number of patients there went up to 24 by this morning.

To take stock of the situation, the Odisha Industries Association held a meeting presided over by district collector Nirmal Chandra Mishra in Jagatpur Industrial Estate later in the day.

Talking to media persons after the meeting, Abani Kanungo, president of the Association said nearly 7000-8000 workers are working in about 1000 micro, medium and small industries in Jagatpur Industrial Estate and new Industrial Estate Phase-I and II.

He said the Association has asked all industries to clean rags from their premises and take steps to flush out stagnant water. But he said the focus would be on cleaning the outer areas of these industries which are littered with empty bottles, left-out tyres and other worn out machinery filled with water, which is ideal breeding place for the Aedes mosquito,” he pointed out.

The collector said keeping the outbreak of dengue in Jagatpur Industrial Estate in 2013, a team of doctors of the State Entomology had visited the industrial estate areas about three weeks back to study the sanitation and cleanliness of the whole area and found traces of Aedes mosquitoes.

He also informed that some people of this area have been affected by dengue since January.

The purpose of the meeting was to sensitise the industries to keep their environment clean and identify persons afflicted with dengue and admit them to the hospital.

Asked about the situation in the city, he said the Health department has taken all steps to stop the disease from spreading to other localities.

To a question that 32 patients have been identified in the city till this morning, Mishra said he has no such reports.

But he said it anyone is found suffering from dengue as per the blood sample test, the administration would take care of his/her treatment without delay.

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