Facilities soon to diagnose Bird Flu here
 

LAKMINI Rodrigo

COLOMBO: Health and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has directed Health Service Director General Dr. Athula Kahandagamage to develop laboratory facilities required to diagnose Avian Flu immediately.

The minister speaking at a conference at the Medical Research Institute, Colombo to discuss action that should be taken if Avian Flu is diagnosed here, emphasised that the medical laboratory staff including laboratory technicians should be given a formal training in diagnosing the virus. He requested World Health Organisation (WHO) support for this process.

A group of Sri Lankan laboratory technicians are receiving WHO training in Hong Kong. The technicians, after completing training, will train selected groups in all hospitals here about combatting and identifying the flu.

The staff will be briefed that Avian flu cannot be transmitted from person to person.

The Government's efforts to protect the country from Avian flu was also discussed at the conference.

A Ministry spokesman said though chances of Avian Flu affecting Sri Lanka were quite low, drugs needed to treat 1,000 patients at once were available here.