Odisha has witnessed a sharp increase in dengue cases, with as many as 175 fresh cases being reported in the state, health officials said.
Khurda district, which includes Bhubaneswar, has reported 93 cases of dengue. With the onset of the monsoon, the number of cases is likely to rise in the coming days. The state government has asked all the collectors and other senior officials to take effective action and ensure that healthcare establishments follow standard treatment protocols while dealing with dengue cases.
Public health director Niranjan Mishra said: “There is no need to worry. A standard operating procedure (SOP) has been issued for all districts as a precautionary measure. We have instructed all medical establishments, including the medical colleges, to keep beds, medicine and platelets stock ready for dealing with any kind of emergency.”
He said the accumulation of rainwater and puddles during monsoon creates a conducive environment for mosquitos to breed. “We need to clean all the places,” he added. “We have increased the dengue tests. We have so far conducted 10,781 tests and a total of 175 dengue-positive cases have been reported from different parts of the state,” Mishra said.