One More Diphtheria Death Reported, Toll Rises to 6

Bhubaneswar: A child died of diphtheria at the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur taking the death toll due to diphtheria in Odisha to six.

As many as four persons including a minor boy suffering from diphtheria were undergoing treatment in the MKCG Medical College and Hospital. The minor boy, whose condition was critical, died while undergoing treatment on Thursday, informed the Superintendent of the medical college hospital Dr Suchitra Das.

The deceased was from Bandhugaon in Koraput district.

Earlier five children had died of diphtheria.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government on Wednesday launched a special vaccination drive in Rayagada district, to check the diphtheria outbreak, especially in the Kasipur area, where five deaths of children occurred.

The children under one year will be given the pentavalent vaccines while children aged between one and seven will be administered single-dose diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and tetanus (DPT) vaccines. Besides, children above seven years will be administered tetanus and Diphtheria (TD) doses.