SCB medical college, hospital turns dengue hotspot, 13 positive cases detected in a week

Corporator of ward no 35 J Kameswar Rao complained the disease has now spread to other localities in Mangalabag and Ranihat with detection of one or two cases daily since the last five days.

Biomedical waste lying scattered near pulmonary medicine department of SCB MCH (Photo | Express)

CUTTACK: Rise in dengue positive cases at the SCB medical college and hospital (MCH) here has put officials of the premier healthcare institution on their toes. Around 13 persons including two doctors have been affected by the vector-borne disease in the last seven days.

While lack of preventive measures like cleaning and sanitation during monsoon is said to be the cause of the surge, what has further triggered the situation is that the hospital campus is dotted with bushes, creepers and biomedical waste turning it into a hotspot for mosquito breeding.

This, despite the fact that the SCB MCH management has deployed around 609 workers besides 61 supervisors to look into the sanitation services of the hospital. Though a whopping `8.5 crore has also been spent for the purpose, the hospital premises continue to remain dirty due to lack of inspection by the authorities concerned, sources alleged.

Corporator of ward no 35 J Kameswar Rao complained the disease has now spread to other localities in Mangalabag and Ranihat with detection of one or two cases daily since the last five days.

“The commissioner of Cuttack Municipal Corporation is the chairman of SCB MCH’s Swasthya Bikash Samiti. But it is surprising that he is not inspecting the hospital premises and initiating steps to prevent further spread of the disease,” Rao rued.

Chief district medical officer, Cuttack, Makaranda Beuria said he has written a letter to the SCB MCH management in this connection. SCB MCH registrar (administration) Abinash Rout said special teams have been constituted to clean the hospital premises.