Bhubaneswar: A day after a seven-year-old girl of Dharma Vihar area near Khandagiri allegedly died of dengue, the disease reportedly claimed a 62-year-old woman, who was undergoing treatment at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar.
The Health department, however, is yet to confirm these as cases of dengue death.
“We are yet to receive any report on dengue death from the Capital Hospital. A team to the private hospital, where a death was reported yesterday, for verification. We can confirm only after an audit,” Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra told the media.
Mishra further informed that 18,124 dengue tests have been conducted and 553 positive cases have detected in 20 districts so far this year. “Our teams are working in close coordination with Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) for intensifying surveillance and necessary preventive measures,” he added.
Dengue cases have spiked to an alarming level in the state capital and the increased rainfall activity has pushed the tally beyond 300. At least 17 cases of dengue were reported in Khurda region in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 336, and among these 16 were from Bhubaneswar and its periphery, a health officer said.
The number of hotspots in city has also gone up to 15 this month and these include Acharya Vihar, Bhimatangi, Chandrasekharpur, CRP, IRC Village, Jayadev Vihar, Nayapalli, Pokhariput and Satya Nagar.
According to BMC sources, ward officers and corporators have been asked to intensify source reduction drive and awareness drive to arrest the rising cases.
