Finance
Dengue fever infections are on the rise in Odisha, with the capital city of Bhubaneswar emerging as a hotspot for this vector-borne disease.
According to Dr. Niranjan Mishra, Odisha Public Health Director, the state conducted 18,700 dengue tests last year and 38,500 this year, representing a roughly 200 percent increase in cases. “For about a month now, more than 60 new cases of dengue have been detected in Odisha on a daily basis,” Dr Mishra said.
Khurda district alone accounts for 1,220 of the 2,426 dengue cases reported in Odisha so far, while Bhubaneswar, which is part of Khurda district, has 1164 patients. According to Dr. Mishra, dengue cases in Odisha have increased this year as the state has extended surveillance and testing.
Seeing the increase in dengue cases this year, the government has decided to open four dengue testing centers and wards to treat patients in four different places in Bhubaneswar.
Dr. Mishra, on the other hand, indicated that the situation in Odisha was not worse than in other states, and that the state’s position in terms of dengue incidents would be 14th or 15th in the country. He went on to say that there is no need to be concerned because the complication rate is less than 5% and the fatality rate is less than 1%.
He added that dengue patients can be treated even at home. “We have made provisions for dengue sample collection and treatment at four community health centers in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) area. If any patient develops complications, the person will be shifted to the hospital,” he said.
Source:OCN
