Anti-dengue drive:

Minister bemoans lukewarm response from govt departments

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

The country has 45 ministries, but only nine have appointed Dengue Control Committees. Only four out of 90 departments have responded to the circular by the Secretary to the President directing all government institutions to set up Dengue Control Committees, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said. “There are 33 authorities, 30 boards, 24 corporations and 21 commissions in the country. But Dengue Control Committees have been set up only in one each of the above bodies.

There are 142 statutory bodies in the country. Dengue Control Committees have been established only in six out of them,” the minister said announcing a Dengue Control month from June 25 to July 25.

The meeting with the Presidential Task Force on Dengue was held at the National Blood Bank Auditorium.

“The Presidential Task Force on Dengue was appointed two years ago under the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga issued a special circular to all government institutions to appoint special committees in their institutions to control dengue. But government institutions’ response on this issue was poor,” the minister said.

Twelve ministries including Health, Defence and Urban Development, Education, Environment, Construction, Engineering Services Houses and Common Amenities, Local Government and Provincial Councils, Public Administration and Home Affairs and Disaster Management are members of this Presidential Task Force.

“Even they have not appointed Dengue Control Committees in their ministries,” Minister Sirisena said.

The minister said the country was criticising the Health Ministry on the issue of dengue.

“But my ministry cannot do everything on its own. It needs the support of all sections to control dengue in Sri Lanka. In the past two or three months, some media questioned why Sri Lanka cannot follow methods adopted by other countries to control the dengue epidemic,” he said.

“But they have failed to mention countries like India where dengue has reached dangerous proportions surpassing Sri Lanka. They should understand that with the cultural and political set up, Sri Lanka cannot follow strict measures like in Cuba,Thailand and Singapore,” the minister said.

“I do not criticise the Presidential Task Force on Dengue. It has done a great service in mitigating dengue more than in other years. They have brought down dengue to 0.48 percent from 0.71 percent during the last year. Eighty two dengue deaths were reported in the first half of last year and it has come down to 74 this year. This is a considerable reduction due to the dedication of the Presidential Task Force on Dengue and the public,” Minister Sirisena said.

All measures are in place to establish special units for dengue patients in hospitals in the areas from where dengue is mostly reported. A number of doctors have been sent to Thailand to obtain the best training on dengue treatment. All these efforts are to mitigate dengue in Sri Lanka and attitudinal change in the whole country. Public dedication is also important for this, he said.

Education Ministry Monitoring MP Mohan Lal Grero, Dehiwala Mount-Lavinia Mayor Dhanasiri Amaratunga and members of the Presidential Task Force and representative from the Police and the Armed Forces were present at the meeting.