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| Wednesday, 31 December 2003 |
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WHO Kobe Centre, CMC and the University of Colombo - A strong triumvirate Heart of the Matter by Fathima Razik Cader Apropos the two previous articles on community development, the other vital areas that will be addressed are environmental health and sanitation, education, sports and recreation, street children and drug addiction. Thus, the plan of action encompasses every relevant area in order that the objectives are achieved within a set time-frame. Thereafter, all stakeholder will expand their areas of responsibility to ensure continuity and in addition, hopefully, extend the programme to other areas in the city of Colombo. As stated in the introductory article, each of the six districts within the city of Colombo has a Medical Officer of Health (MOH) under whom Public Health Inspectors (PHIs), Health Instructors, Food Inspectors and a Spray Unit function. The MOH and the other officers oversee environmental health and sanitation in each district. The activities of this division include the Central Food Control Unit, Clean Air Initiative for Colombo, Vector Control Unit and the Green Star Home Programme. The Vector Control Unit, for example, is actively engaged in full-fledged vector control work using pulse fogging generators. The whole city, which is divided into sectors, is serviced on a systematic scale fogging and spraying against mosquitoes, on a daily basis. This however has not proved to be fully effective, as mosquitoes and as a result mosquito borne diseases, are on the rise. The CMC attributes this situation to unplanned urbanization, increasing population and lifestyles that contribute to the proliferation of man-made habitats of the mosquito vector. This has therefore become a major health problem in the city of Colombo and one way of effectively and successfully combating the problem has been through the Green Star Home Programme which is now an on-going exercise. The Western Province records the highest number of dengue cases and the city of Colombo in particular, has shown a marked increase in the number of cases reported. For example, 34, 8 and 47 cases were reported in the month of January in the years 2001, 2002 and 2003, respectively. One also has to take cognizance of the fact that the months of June and July record the highest number of reported cases. The CMC and its Public Health Department, have three action plans - immediate, short-term and long-term to combat and control dengue in the city. The Health Curative Department provides free allopathic general medical and specialized services including eye and dental care through the 25 dispensaries located within the city. In addition, the Indigenous Medical Services Department provides facilities for alternative medicine. The Veterinary Services Department is responsible for the control of rabies, stray animals, control and treatment of animal diseases, administration of the sixteen markets in the city and the supply of hygienic meat and the control of diseases spread through meat. As reported in these columns, the city of Colombo has an influx of patients from all parts of the country seeking medical services from the Colombo Group of Teaching Hospitals in the city. This trend is attributed to the concentration of specialist doctors and facilities in the city hospitals. The number of private hospitals and the laboratories and the modern facilities that such institutions offer also has patients seeking medical services from all parts of the island. It is interesting to note that the occupancy rate at the Colombo Central District Hospital, under the purview of the CMC which is located just 2 km. from the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, is only 24.92%. This amply portrays the attitude of the people who prefer to seek medical attention from the Teaching Hospitals rather than a district hospital. In this WHO Kobe Centre funded community development programme, education of the urban poor has been given its due place. Colombo, being the capital city, has around 150 schools and other institutions that provide tertiary education. At any given time, around 200,000 children attend primary and secondary schools. The city schools, both government and private, have a high rate of scholastic achievements and are sought after by parents from not only within the city but from neighbouring and far off areas as well. Situated in the heart of the city is the University of Colombo which conducts multifarious educational activities including research. And this University has now chosen to play a more meaningful role in the development and progress of society - a step that would be welcomed by all. Thus the urban poor stands to gain in no small measure, by this timely partnership established between the Colombo Municipal Council and the University of Colombo. Sports and Recreation facilities, though they seem sufficient in terms of numbers, are sadly, woefully inadequate. Colombo has 32 playgrounds, 33 children's playgrounds, 30 reception halls, 10 pre-schools with recreational facilities and 52 community centres. There is however a marked lack of community centres amidst the low-income settlements. This perhaps leads to children from the poorer segments of society being seen more on the streets and thereby being branded as 'street children'. Such children engage in various activities, some of which are totally unsuitable for children, when in fact, they should be attending school and indulging in extra curricular activities and studies after school hours. Some non-governmental organizations and government institutions have on-going programmes to rehabilitate street children. The problems created by addiction to drugs is an areas that is receiving due attention. The PHD of the CMC works in collaboration with the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board to identify drug addicts. It is estimated that there may be more than 20,000 heroin addicts in the city of Colombo with the urban poor also being sucked into this vortex. And this results in not only individuals or their families being affected but in fact, whole communities too in view of their life style. Thus the chosen mission - "To facilitate human development of communities living in the city of Colombo", and with the aim of improving health, eduction and social well-being of communities living in deprived areas of Colombo so that they can achieve their true potential, this strong and committed triumvirate - the Colombo Municipal Council, the University of Colombo and the World Health Organization, Kobe Centre, Japan, will undoubtedly give the underprivileged segments of Colombo's society more than a ray of hope. And this being New Year eve, the true spirit of the season will brighten the lives of thousands of poor people and lift their spirits to greater heights. |
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