Student help to prevent dengue spreading

Compulsory for Govt Depts., Institutions to implement dengue prevention program:

A dengue prevention week was launched by the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry from yesterday to prevent the spread of the disease which seems to assume epidemic proportions in many parts of the country.

The contribution of the country’s student population numbering nearly four million too would be obtained for the successful implementation of the program.

It will be compulsory for all Government Departments and affiliated institutions to implement a dengue prevention program in their premises during the week.

Legal action will be taken by the Ministry against those departments and institutions failing to fall in line with this program. This follows a decision taken at a high level meeting held at the National Blood Bank premises presided by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva on Monday.

Minister de Silva addressing the meeting said the spread of dengue in epidemic proportions was not a problem which could be tackled by his Ministry single handed.

Therefore, a Co-ordinated program has been launched by the Ministry in association with the Ministries of Education, Environment and Local Government, Provincial Health Ministers and NGOs to combat the disease.

The assistance of the Epidemiological Unit, MRI, Anti-Dengue and Malaria Campaigns, CMC, Police Department and the Civil Defence Force would be obtained for the successful implementation of the program.

All Grama Niladaris and Divisional Secretaries would be deployed for the eradication of mosquito breeding places and the Public Administration had issued a special circular in this regard, Minister de Silva said.

The first stage of the program would be implemented in 30 MoH areas in Colombo, Kandy and Gampaha District identified as most dengue prone areas and thereafter extended to cover other areas.

Science and Technology Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana and Power Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage who is the co-ordinator of the Civil Defence Force also addressed the meeting.

Meanwhile, a Health Ministry release said so far 90 persons have died of dengue and the number of suspected dengue patients had surpassed 6,700. The incidence of the decease had increased 131 per cent during the last five months.

The best solution for this is to clean up all potential mosquito breeding places. The Ministry release also requested people suffering from fever to seek instant medical care at a government hospital.