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Human infections with viruses are huge and escalating threats to
public health in Sri Lanka with a large number of citizens are infected
with recent outbreaks. It is estimated that between 25 to 40 percent
will be infected if the country doesn’t get a proper plan to eradicate
the infectious viruses.
Everyday a number of infectious increases such as severe life
threatening form of dengue, dengue haemorrhagic fever, Swine Flu,
Measles and Hepatitis Viruses have been reported to the Medical Health
Office in the last three months. I believe if we don’t control this, it
will be considered as biological war which is not an easy battle to win.
You know why I said, viruses are mutating in an unprecedented manner due
to improper environment management.
Viruses are the smallest known infectious agents. They are all built
up of nucleic acid and protein coat(s) and may in addition have an outer
lipoprotein envelope. They replicate in cells and may thereby lead
directly to cell damage and cause disease. Alternatively, the host
defenses may lead to cell damage as they attempt to clear virus-infected
cells. Virus infections are mostly transmitted from acutely infected to
susceptible individuals through the common routes: airborne, food, blood
(inoculation) and direct contact. The incubation period differs greatly
and may range from a few days (e.g. the common cold) to months.
The need to implement effective preventive measures to stop the
transmission of viruses in correctional facilities is not described in
Sri Lanka.
I think that is the initial problem, solution must be originated from
the health sector rather than the common public. Bringing expertise from
Cuban or other countries doesn’t work as they do not understand the
ground situation. At the same time prisons and jails do not provide the
opportunity for care and control emerging viruses for a population that
is difficult to reach and often deprived of healthcare while in the
community.
The present Municipal Council is not doing their job, especially
regarding city cleaning and there’s added pressure on the poor citizen.
A good example is Dengue. However, organization against these types of
outbreaks is difficult to initiate within the penitentiary system.
Setting up an effective preventive system within this context is not a
difficult challenge to our Motherland if planned well.
One living good example is the eradication of terrorism and ending
the war, but keep it mind that viruses are more powerful so we have to
have a proper plan. Preventive measures can be implemented for all viral
diseases.
However, some must be dealt with specifically and as a priority,
since they have serious consequences and are particularly risky. Swine
Influenza, which is mainly transmitted from person-to-person through
coughing or sneezing by those infected. People may become infected by
touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth
or nose.
Information and education are the most easily accepted preventive
methods and the most used in developed countries. Health education
should include information concerning diseases, routes of transmission,
risk factors, methods of prevention, signs of disease outcomes and
possible treatments.
The Health Ministry must work with the local team and print brochures
or posters to be distributed among fast spreading areas. One best
example is IDP welfare centres. Where recent outbreaks of Meningitis,
Measles, and Hepatitis viruses can be minimized by this method.
An effective health policy is immediately requires in all IDP welfare
centres together with voluntary screening of the greatest possible
number of virus diseases. Due to the rapid turnover and the risk of
transmission, testing should be proposed as soon as possible when the
patient arrives and this must be done in the field if possible.
Effective control measurement is needed to be set for the benefit of
the nation in the field of public health. Moreover, a clear commitment
is essential together with the required research to assess the level of
the effectiveness of the prevention programs.
Faiz Marikar Riyadh
More elections do have their funny side, originating mostly by who
else but Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe.
There were pictures of him last week in newspapers raising an issue
about the shortcomings of the education system.
My question is, how can a person talk on general issues, when he
doesn’t even know the date when his main concern - an upcoming election
- takes place. To Ranil the Uva and Northern elections are yet to take
place. Maybe that is the reason why the UNP polled so little.
Perhaps we’ll see the UNPers at the polling stations on August 18 in
full attendance!
G. Sumanadasa - Malabe
I would like to know what these great grievance the writer Lenin
Benedict is talking about? (Aug. 4).
How much the moderate Tamil diaspora remitted to the GSL for
rehabilitation of IDPs now under Government care?
What sacrifices the Tamils will make to live with Sinahala brothers
and sisters. There is nothing, already the Tamils are living in the
South and their Sinhala brothers have never vindicated any of them. It
is the Tamils who need to be more generous towards the Sinhalese and let
the Sinhalese live in the North and East.
ROBERT - via email
I refer to the ‘Gleanings’ article by the regular writer K. S.
Sivakumaran on ‘What is the origin of Maddakalappu?’ on August 5, 2009.
I quote this sentence; ‘Maddakalappu in Thamil became Madakalapuwa in
Sinhala’. All this time, I and all Sinhalese thought it was the other
way around. The Sinhala historians have made us to believe that as far
back as King Kavantissa (Dutugemunu’s father), the Rohana kingdom
extended from Magama in the deep South to as far North to even Seruwila
on the estuary of the Mahaweli and the entire landmass South of the
river which naturally would include K. S. Sivakumaran’s Maddakalappu.
K. S. Sivakumaran, a knowledgeable writer, has cited numerous source
material to substantiate his views. The Sinhala people who are not quite
conversant with the ancient history of this area, expect the Daily News
to get the present day historians and archaeologists like Puravidya
Chakravarthi Ven. Ellawala, Professor Rohanadeera, Dr. J. R. P.
Sooriyapperuma et al. to enlighten them conclusively on this ‘vital’
issue.
If K. S. Sivakumaran is right, no harm done. Let the truth prevail!
ERNEST RUPASINGHE - Gampaha
I quite agree with the editorial. (Aug. 7) Someone made this
comments. Bus drivers in Sri Lanka are like James Bonds in Sri Lanka.
They have a licence to kill. I think it is very true. The Traffic Police
turn a blind eye to these drivers that I have personally witnessed. But
if it is passenger driver who violates they will be stopped and fined.
I am a driver and I have to take special precaution if there is a bus
close to me. They drive any way they desire and overtake another vehicle
even if they have to crash head on. Their speeding has no limit. If you
happen to be in their way they will honk and honk till you get out of
their way. I don’t think they really realize that they are driving a bus
and not a motorcycle.
If the Police catch all the bus driver violators and punish them
accordingly, it will be much safer for the people and the other drivers.
Gamini - Via e-mail
For the past years there were many instances - that were revealed
where big Pharmaceutical companies have published ‘phony’ scientific
research findings supporting their drugs in Journals that are generally
accepted as reputable, in order to gain profits in millions of dollars.
Below is another such story from a news item. Read and be aware that
these frauds are carried out by drug companies....(When these big
corporations have no interest in the well-being and health of the
public, but only greed for massive profits by hoodwinking the public...
it is no wonder that the Obama administration is finding it so hard to
find a way to provide affordable health benefits to those who do not
have it. These massive corporations will buy out lawyers, lawmakers and
whoever else they can to stop such efforts! Shame on the US for allowing
the greed to succeed over the years!)
From the New York Times: Newly unveiled court documents show that
ghostwriters paid by a pharmaceutical company played a major role in
producing 26 scientific papers backing the use of hormone replacement
therapy in women, suggesting that the level of hidden industry influence
on medical literature is broader than previously known. That supposed
medical consensus benefited Wyeth, the pharmaceutical company that paid
a medical communications firm to draft the papers, as sales of its
hormone drugs, called Premarin and Prempro, soared to nearly $2 billion
in 2001.
The articles, published in medical journals between 1998 and 2005,
emphasized the benefits and de-emphasized the risks of taking hormones
to protect against maladies like aging skin, heart disease and dementia.
The articles did not disclose Wyeth’s role in initiating and paying for
the work. Elsevier, the publisher of some of the journals, said it was
disturbed by the allegations of ghostwriting and would investigate.”
A. Samarakooon - via e-mail
Completion of a huge bridge at Katugastota is really a great
achievement of the Government with the financial aid received from an
Arab Muslim country of Kuwait. In fact, it is a pride for Muslims of Sri
Lanka too.
Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives etc. are
some of Muslim countries that are always sympathetic to Sri Lankan
nation which consists of Muslims as minority. Thus, the patriotic
feeling that the Muslims of Sri Lanka have been cherishing since their
settlement in Sri Lanka.
We, Muslims on behalf of our Motherland - as patriots appeal to all
Arab and non-Arab Muslim rich countries to help our Government
financially to develop the economy that was temporarily affected by 30
years defensive war against terrorism.
We, Muslims always dedicate ourselves to bring about the prosperity
of the country in future.
It must be mentioned here that we Muslims join hands with others in
expressing our special thanks to the Government of Kuwait for financial
aid to construct the new Katugastota bridge.
M. Y. M. Meeadh - Kandy
I refer to the article titled ‘Sri Lanka’s foreign policy’ which
contained extracts from a book titled ‘Sri Lanka - the war fuelled by
International Peace’ written by Palitha Senanayake, which was published
on July 13, 2009.
I like to point out that with regard to Sri Lanka’s application for
membership in the United Nations, mentioned in the book, while most of
the facts are correct, only the date of admission is wrong. It was in
December 1955, when Sir John Kotelawela was the Prime Minister, Sri
Lanka (Ceylon at that time) was admitted to the United Nations as a full
member.
The late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike became Prime Minister only after the
general election held in April 1956. This is just to correct the wrong
impression that may have created among the public especially with regard
to the date of admission of Sri Lanka as a member of the United Nations.
C.M. de Silva - Ratmalana
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