Dengue claims four lives in Odisha

With dengue claiming four lives in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today sounded alert in seven districts and directed departments concerned to intensify sanitation drive with focus on industrial and mines areas that showed high incidence of the disease.
Patnaik issued the direction while reviewing the situation arising out of dengue. While 1,547 people have so far tested positive to dengue virus, around 140 patients are under treatment at different hospitals.
"While 130 people are under treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, nine persons are admitted in the intensive care unit," Health Minister Atanu S Nayak told reporters here.

The number of dengue patients is, however, gradually decreasing, he said.
As intensity of dengue is more in industrial belts, government has alerted district collectors of Jajpur, Angul, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Bhadrak, Khurda and Balasore. Special instruction has been issued to industries in Kalinga Nagar area in Jajpur district, a release issued by the chief minister's office said.
The government has asked the Steel and Mines Department to ensure that sanitation is maintained in industrial and mining areas to ward off water borne and vector borne diseases.
Of the four deaths reported so far, two were from Jajpur district while Angul and Jagatsinghpur districts accounted for the remaining casualties.

Patnaik asked officials to ensure availability of dedicated health care centres in industrial and mines areas and appointment of nodal officers in urban areas prone to dengue disease.