Dengue Cases go up at SCB Medical College and Hospital

Dengue patients continue to get admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital here with the disease affecting 233 people since July 15. In the past 21 days, on a daily basis more than 10 persons have been tested positive for dengue at the hospital. This has taken the number of dengue patients admitted for treatment from 84 to 317. In the past seven days, 117 dengue patients have been admitted. Over 70 percent of these patients are from the coastal districts. Last year, nearly 2315 dengue patients were cured and discharged after treatment from the hospital’s special dengue ward. While five dengue patients died at the hospital last year, the ward was closed down in December.

Last year, the number of beds at the ward had to be increased from 100 to 150 in view of the large turnout of patients. While blood samples of 1630 persons have been tested since May 26, so far 317 have reported positive. “While the death count has remained two, till Sunday 216 patients have been cured,” said Sriprasad Mohanty, assistant nodal officer for treatment of dengue cases. He said at present 56 patients were undergoing treatment at the hospital. Emergency treatment and free blood tests are being provided to patients suffering from dengue. Patients suspected to be suffering from dengue are thoroughly checked and admitted without delay. Of the 317 dengue patients, over 220 are from the coastal districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack and Puri. The other patients are from Nayagarh, Khurda, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Angul, Keonjhar, and Sundargarh districts.

“With 151 cases, the maximum number of dengue patients is from Cuttack district,” Dr Mohanty said. Mohanty reminded people that Aedes aegypti spreads dengue and can breed in clean water. So, the water in air coolers, water pots and containers behind refrigerator should be changed and cleaned every day. Waste materials containing water should be removed from the localities. The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) had started door-to-door checks to ensure that dengue does not spread. The door-to-door surveillance also checks for persons suffering from the fever for three or more days to make sure that treatment for dengue starts at the right time, CMC health officer Umesh Panigrahi said. – Telegraph India