Special dengue OPD in Odisha hospital as cases climb to 572

A special outdoor patient department (OPD) has been created in a leading government hospital in Odisha after dengue cases climbed to 572 in the state, a senior state health official said Sunday.

The OPD service was introduced Saturday at Sriram Chandra Bhanja (SCB) Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, about 26 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, exclusively for dengue patients, joint director of the state health department M.M. Pradhan told IANS.

Of the 2,583 blood samples tested in the state this year, 572 were so far found positive for dengue. More than half of the confirmed cases have been reported from the district of Cuttack.

At least 91 dengue patients are currently undergoing treatment at the SCB Medical College Hospital while others have been discharged after treatment, he said. Of the 49 new cases reported Saturday, 21 were from Cuttack, he said.

"Dengue is under control. Nobody has died of the disease so far. Those who have been found infected are recovering and out of danger", he said.

The state government has also created special dengue wards, not only at SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack, but also at the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Gajapati Medical College and Hospital (MKCG) at Berhampur and Capital Hospital at Bhubaneswar, Pradhan said.