Odisha's Sundargarh district administration finally wakes up to address dengue menace

A meeting was held to chalk out a plan to prevent Malaria-Dengue-Diarrhoea (MDD) in the city.
Dengue (AP file Image for representation )
Dengue (AP file Image for representation )

ROURKELA: A month after the advent of monsoon, Sundargarh district administration has finally woken up from its slumber to tackle the menace of vector and water-borne diseases.A meeting was held here on Tuesday to chalk out a plan to prevent Malaria-Dengue-Diarrhoea (MDD) in the city. The meet was attended by officials of the city administration, Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC), health and various line departments, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) and ESIC Model Hospital.

Incidentally, the district reported nearly 300 confirmed dengue cases in 2016 while no death occurred.
At the meet, RMC Commissioner AK Mallick said  ASHA and Anganwadi workers as well as ANMs would make door-to-door visits to educate people on preventing stagnation of water inside their houses or neighbourhood to check breeding of ‘Aedes Aegypti’ mosquitoes responsible for dengue. He said they would also educate people on other preventive measures while mass awareness programmes are also on the cards.

The Commissioner claimed that drain cleaning drive is underway while vehicle-mounted fogging machines would be deployed shortly along with spraying of larvicide oil and bush cutting to destroy mosquito breeding grounds.Chief Medical Officer of Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) Dr RC Behera said 198 dengue positive cases were detected in 2016 of which, 60 were from RMC limits and rest 138 in Rourkela Industrial Township of RSP.

He said a worker, travelling from Bangalore, was admitted to RGH with symptoms of dengue a few days back and was referred to VIMSAR, Burla for confirmation and treatment.
Sundargarh Chief District Medical Officer Dr SB Naik said awareness and prevention measures on MDD have been started across Sundargarh, Rajgangpur and Birmitrapur towns and 17 blocks of the district.
No dengue positive case has been reported yet, Naik said and added that about 102 confirmed cases were reported from these areas last year.

On the other hand, consultant surgeon Dr Biswajit Mohapatra flayed the inadequate sanitation measures of the administration and said after every time an outbreak of dengue is reported, lot of hue and cry is raised and huge amount of public money spent to control the situation. Mosquito breeding grounds should have been destroyed by June to prevent chances of outbreak of dengue and malaria in urban and rural areas of the district, he added.

Malaria claims 7 lives in K’mal

Phulbani: Malaria has claimed seven lives and affected 80 others in the last one month in Ranipanga village under Kotagarh block of Kandhamal district. A six-member medical team from Kotagarh PHC and Phulbani District Headquarters Hospital has been sent to the affected village to treat patients. CDMO Swapeswar Gadanayak said the tribal-dominated village is situated in an inaccessible part of the district and is prone to vector-borne diseases. The affected villagers are suffering from high fever, abdominal pain and weakness. The team collected 90 blood samples from patients of which 35 were found malaria positive, said in-charge officer of Kotagarh PHC Balaram Pradhan. A health worker and an ANM have been asked to remain present in the village round-the-clock along with required medicines. Seven critical patients have been shifted to Balliguda Sub-Divisional Hospital and others are undergoing treatment in the village.

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