Cuttack, Aug. 30: The state government has started deploying “medical faculties from medical colleges and other hospitals” at Talcher in Angul district.

“They are being deployed in batches of five to seven at Nehru Satabdi Central Hospital (NSCH) of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), Talcher, for screening complicated cases and managing those willing to be admitted in the hospital,” the state government said in an affidavit submitted in the high court.

State health and family welfare commissioner-cum-secretary Anu Garg filed the affidavit yesterday along with dengue action plan.

The court had on August 19 directed the government to submit a detailed report on steps being taken to prevent dengue outbreak.

Amicus curiae Pravat Ranjan Dash had filed a petition for judicial intervention to ensure adequate preventive measures.

So far, 876 persons have tested positive for dengue in the state and 23 persons have died. Angul district accounted for nearly 400 of the cases with 19 casualties.

According to the action plan, two laboratory technicians have been deployed at MCL hospital along with an additional testing facility. As part of the additional infrastructure for management of cases, a “blood component separation unit is functional at Angul since August 20 and two ambulances have been deployed to facilitate referral cases to S.C.B. Medical College Hospital in Cuttack”.

Five mobile health units with five medical officers and 30 health workers had been mobilised from other districts and engaged for active surveillance, treatment of cases, health education and help in mobilising peoples’ effort to reduce breeding sources.