Dengue patient management:

Thai doctors providing specialized training

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

A team of specialist doctors from Thailand in Sri Lanka is providing specialized training on dengue patient management to Sri Lankan specialist doctors attached to all main state hospitals, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

According to the spokesman, the main objective of this training programme is providing latest skills and knowledge on dengue patient management to local specialist doctors to minimize dengue deaths and complications. The team has provided training to specialist doctors attached to 52 main hospitals. The team will train another 75 teams of local specialist doctors in 75 main hospitals. The team will train doctors, especially pediatricians and neurologists, attached to all main hospitals in Sri Lanka.

Local specialist doctors will be trained on minimizing dengue deaths, treating dengue patients, dengue fever management, observing dengue patients, carrying out proper treatment and other related issues. The trained doctors will in turn train nurses who observe dengue patients, he said.

The ministry took steps to set up 52 High Dependency Units (HDU) at 52 main hospitals in Sri Lanka under the direction of Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena. Each HDU will have five ICU beds and other facilities. The Government spends Rs. Five million for each unit, he added.

The latest records of the Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry shows that 10818 dengue patients and 77 deaths had been reported from all parts of the country by July 7. The highest number of patients, 4,098 were reported from the Colombo district. The Gampaha district recorded 1363 dengue patients. Only 618 dengue cases had been reported this month. No deaths reported during this month, Last month 3403 dengue patients and 14 deaths reported.