Dengue claims third life in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, July 10:

The killer dengue claimed another life in Odisha with the death of a person at SCB Medical College and Hospital today taking the toll to three. On the other hand, the Keonjhar district administration declared three-day closure of schools in Barbil in view of the worsening dengue situation.

According to reports, a dengue patient from Angul was admitted to the government-run referral hospital this evening. However, the patient identified as Tuna Nayak died few hours after receiving treatment.

With the mosquito-borne virus spreading its tentacles, Keonjhar District Collector N Thirumala Nayak today ordered for closure of schools under Barbil Municipal area for three days.

Earlier on Thursday, Sukramani Sandil from Ward No 8 under Barbil Municipal area died at the Barbil Community Health Centre (CHC) while undergoing treatment. She died after undergoing treatment for five days. The following day, a 60-year-old woman Ratani Karua of Srirama Nagar under Barbil municipality became the second dengue patient to die in two days.

The dengue situation in Keonjhar district remains grim as 434 persons have tested positive out of the 1246 blood samples collected.

It may be mentioned here that Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has served notices to the Health Secretary, Urban Development Department Secretary and Collectors of eight districts, including Cuttack, Keonjhar, Bhadrak and, Jajpur to submit a report on the outbreak of the vector-borne disease.

While the Rights body has given two weeks’ time to district collectors, it has directed the secretaries of the concerned departments to submit the report to conform to the notice in four weeks.