BHUBANESWAR: As there is no let up in dengue positive cases, the state government has procured fresh consignments of testing kits in view of the festive season.
Sources said the Odisha State Medical Corporation Ltd (OSMCL) has procured ELISA 700 testing kits and distributed them to high caseload districts. With these kits, around 50,000 samples can be analysed.
Director of public health Dr Nilakantha Mishra said the districts were asked to purchase the kits following procurement guidelines till adequate supply from OSMCL is restored.
“Testing kits have been dispatched to districts as per requirement with a focus on high caseload districts like Sundargarh, Khurda, Cuttack and Balasore,” he said.
Although the daily caseload has come down from a range of around 150 to 50 now, the officials are apprehensive about the surge due to the hot and humid condition, which is conducive for mosquito breeding. “Usually, most dengue cases are reported from June to November with a peak around August and September. It subsides as winter sets in. Hopefully, the cases will come down in the state soon,” said a health official.
The state has reported 7,518 dengue cases till October 6. Sundargarh recorded the highest 2,410 cases, followed by Khurda 1,373, Balasore 588 and Cuttack 479. So far, 1,27,548 samples have been tested.
Last month, The New Indian Express had reported about the shortage of ELISA testing kits in government hospitals in the peak dengue season.
Diagnosis was affected in some districts due to insufficient ELISA testing kits at the public health facilities forcing the public health administration to allow the CDMOs for local procurement.