The dengue ward at SCB Medical College and Hospital

Cuttack, July 28: A dengue card will soon be introduced at SCB Medical College and Hospital to track and provide immediate treatment to patients who are diagnosed with the disease.

Sources said the name, contact number and address of those coming to SCB Medical College and Hospital for rapid or ELISA test would be maintained.

The card will be provided to dengue positive patients so that they can produce the card (for easy identification) and can be provided immediate attention and admission in hospital. Symptoms of dengue and other treatment-related information would be mentioned so that they can come to the hospital whenever their condition deteriorates.

The decision follows the death of a 25-year-old dengue patient here yesterday that sparked tension with local residents staging demonstrations at Rausapatna and Seminary Chhak till late on Saturday night. Eswar Rao, who died yesterday, had tested dengue positive on July 25. “So far, it has not been established whether Rao died of shock due to dengue or malaria. However, his blood tests confirmed that he was suffering from dengue,” said Cuttack collector Girish S.N.

In the past one month, 158 persons have tested positive for dengue in Cuttack.

“The main objective (of the card) is to ensure that those testing dengue positive can easily be tracked and provided with necessary treatment on time,” said Girish.

District administration officials said persons, who tested positive for dengue, would also have to go for a platelet-count test. If their count was low, they would be admitted to a hospital.

Counselling of the patients will also be conducted at the time of collecting blood for samples so that they strictly follow the doctor’s advice in case they test positive. The process of introducing the dengue card has already started and is likely to be implemented within next couple of days.

A special sanitation drive will be launched by the district administration and Cuttack Municipal Corporation from August 1 keeping in view of the dengue outbreak in the city.

Civic officials said intensive fogging drive was being launched at two localities — ward Nos. 21 and 23 — where maximum dengue cases have been reported. People are also being made aware of the disease and how to deal with it.

School students, National Cadet Corps and puja committees have been asked to carry out special sanitation drives in their respective schools and localities.