Bhubaneswar, Sept. 19: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today directed police not to detain ambulances to make passage for VIPs.

Naveen observed that the police were detaining ambulances carrying patients to give passage to VIP vehicles, thereby putting the lives of patients at risk. Stating that saving the lives of patients is more important than VIP movement, he asked the police not to detain such vehicles under any circumstances.

He also instructed the officials to build special corridors for ambulances at major traffic junctions. In the first phase, these special corridors will come up at intersections near major hospitals. The chief minister will review the implementation of the work after a month, a release issued by the Chief Minister's Office said.

Dengue review

Health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak today reviewed the dengue situation in the state and the government's preparedness to combat the disease.

The minister said 481 persons were down with dengue in the state. Of them, 65 patients were being treated at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, with eight of them in the intensive care unit. Another 13 were undergoing treatment at the VSS Institute of Medical Science and Research at Burla, three at Capital Hospital and two at the Puri district headquarters hospital. However, only one person has died of dengue in the state, he said.

Nayak claimed that 70 per cent of the patients diagnosed with dengue had come from Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Surat and other places outside the state.

The minister advised the department officials to ensure proper treatment of patients at the hospitals.

He added that facilities for dengue test were available at district headquarters hospitals and Capital Hospital. The tests would also be conducted on holidays and provisions had been made for supply of blood platelets free of cost.