40 Sentinel Sites To Keep Dengue At Bay In Odisha Says Health Minister

In response to a question posed by Salipur MLA Prashant Behera on Monday, Health & Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling said that the Odisha government has designated 40 sentinel locations at District Headquarters Hospitals and Medical Colleges in the state to restrict the spread of dengue. Following a query from Salipur MLA during the current Assembly session’s Q&A period, the Health Minister responded. Behera pressed Mahaling for an explanation of the measures being taken by the state administration to prevent the disease from spreading throughout the state.

The Minister announced that Patia Health Center and IRC Village Health Centers are offering free ELISA-based antigen detection testing to identify dengue illness. Additionally, 49,000 ASHA employees were assigned by the department to educate the public about the vector-borne illness. Additionally, 30 districts have employed 670 volunteers for the same purpose.

The Minister was also informed that specific dengue wards have been established in each of the District Headquarters Hospital, Sub-divisional Hospital, and Community Health Center. These units offer free services to patients diagnosed with dengue fever.