Twin Cities Gear Up To Curb Dengue Menace

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: With reports on the resurfacing of the dengue virus coming from an area in the capital city, the municipal administration of the twin cities Bhubaneswar and Cuttack have geared up to curb further spread of the disease

Anticipating further rise in the number of dengue patients, authorities of the Capital Hospital have formed a special team of doctors for their treatment and opened an eight-bedded special ward.

“Every year, we take adequate measures to curb the outbreak of dengue. Till date, there were no reports on the outbreak of the disease in the capital city. But as such reports have come up from Chandrasekharpur area where four persons have been tested positive, we are ready to admit these patients,” said Manoranjan Das, Director, Capital Hospital.

“We have opened a separate ward with doctors to provide adequate treatment. Besides, we have the laboratory to diagnose the patients,” he added.

In the Millennium city, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) had a meeting on Saturday. The meeting was presided over by the Mayor. Health Committee officials and officials of the other departments were present.

“We have taken adequate steps like adequate stock of anti-larvae and completion of desiltation of drains before the onset of monsoon,” Ranjan Biswal, chairman of CMC Health Committee, informed the media after the meeting.

He said the number of dengue patients in Cuttack has gradually come down since 2013 as the people have become aware of the disease and taken appropriate precautionary measures.

Dr Umesh Chandra Panigrahi, CMC Health official, said the larvae which had survived last year, will develop this year. “Our first duty would be to kill these larvae. We have asked a team of entomologists from Bhubaneswar who will survey the areas which were affected by dengue last year and kill the larvae,” he pointed out.

He further said the local administration cannot achieve anything alone. Its mission would be successful if people are made aware of the disease and cooperate the administration accordingly.