CUTTACK: The city continues to see a sharp rise in number of dengue cases with the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) failing to initiate effective measures to check the spread of the vector-borne disease.
Two new dengue cases were detected on Thursday, taking the tally to 42 in the ongoing rainy season. Of the two fresh cases, one was reported from Mangalabag while the other was detected in Badamba.
CDMO, Cuttack Makaranda Beuria said 32 of the total 42 dengue cases have been detected from different localities of the city. The rest 10 cases have been reported from rural areas of the district. Dengue tests are now being conducted at SCB Medical College and Hospital besides the City Hospital, he added.
In the last four days, five cases have been detected from the SCB MCH campus. Similarly, cases have been detected from the premises of 6th Battalion of OSAP at OMP square besides Ranihat, Nimpur and Jagatpur localities on cluster basis.
In view of the spurt in cases, a special dengue ward with 50 beds and five ICUs has been made operational at SCB MCH, informed Prof Dr Jayant Panda of medicine department.
At least 15 dengue patients are undergoing treatment at the MCH. Three of them - retired professor in medicine department of SCB Dr Biranchi Mohapatra, in-charge of the MCH’s trauma casualty Dr Tapas Panigrahi and a medical student - are undergoing treatment in the ICUs.
While sources said most of the cases detected in city are indigenous, residents blamed the negligence of CMC for the spread. Wild vegetation has covered most of the open spaces and waterlogging can be seen in different areas of the city. Despite the surge in dengue cases, the civic body is yet to intensify bush cutting, fogging and cleanliness activities, alleged the residents.
“While CMC authorities are creating awareness on dengue with the help of a mike-mounted vehicle, they are yet to clean the garbage and waterlogging from their own office compound which has turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” alleged corporator of ward-38 Subhasish Pattanaik.
Efforts to elicit response from city health officer Satyabrat Mahapatra on the issue proved futile.