Dengue rampage continues in Bhubaneswar, Chief Secretary PK Jena hospitalised
Lack of adequate measures both by the civic body and households in keeping the surroundings clean along with sporadic rain has aggravated the situation.
Published: 12th September 2023 09:32 AM | Last Updated: 12th September 2023 09:32 AM | A+A A-
Image used for representational purposes. (Express Illustration)
BHUBANESWAR: Amid the unrelenting surge in dengue cases, thanks to the sheer inefficiency and callousness of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), the vector-borne viral disease has taken the top official of the state government in its grip. Chief Secretary PK Jena, who was down with dengue for the last few days, has been admitted to Capital Hospital after his condition turned critical, authorities said on Monday.
Hospital director Dr Laxmidhar Sahoo said the chief secretary was admitted to the hospital on Saturday and his health condition is stable. “Though there has been no rapid improvement, his health condition is stable and expected to further improve today,” he added. The authorities informed me that Jena is being provided with all necessary treatment and is expected to recover soon.
As it is, the dengue ward of the hospital has remained full with 100 pc bed occupancy. Meanwhile, the dengue infection count in the state capital is nearing the 2,500 mark. As of Saturday, the dengue caseload in the city was 2,304.
Health department sources said the Khurda region including Bhubaneswar has also started reporting dengue cases in three digits. Of the total 172 cases reported in the region on Saturday, 147 were from BMC. While Nayapalli, Baramunda, Acharya Vihar, Jayadev Vihar and Chandrasekharpur areas continue to remain dengue hotspots in the city, other places including Bhimtangi, Old Town, Saheed Nagar, Unit IX, Unit VI, CRP and Kalpana localities are among the worst affected.
Lack of adequate measures both by the civic body and households in keeping the surroundings clean along with sporadic rain has aggravated the situation. The state Health Department warned there would be a further spurt in cases if required measures are not taken to deal with the situation.
Municipal Commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange could not be reached for his comment on the matter.
