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Wednesday, 24 October 2012

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Government Gazette

Abysmal record on dengue-control

We hope the relieving news that dengue deaths in this country have somewhat decreased over the past few months has not sent most of our state institutions into a slumber of negligence. We are led to this reflection on learning that over 50 percent of our state institutions are yet to establish Dengue Control Committees, which are charged with taking measures to contain the disease.

We have it on the authority of Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena that only 45 out of our 63 ministries and 35 out of some 90 departments, for instance, have set up these Committees for the control of the dreaded disease. Even in the case of other categories of state institutions, the statistics are most unflattering. All these and more pieces of evidence of gross neglect of duties by state personnel come in the teeth of the disclosure that the central authorities have done more than the needful by sending out circulars on the need for precautionary measures against dengue.

Apparently, our public is yet to experience the need to act fast on controlling dengue. Much more than any cultural considerations, it is inertia and lethargy which is getting in the way of some members of the public and institutions alerting themselves to the dengue threat and its fatal consequences.

This mindset problem needs to be remedied first, we believe. For far too many members of the public, the dengue menace is more a 'seasonal thing' which explodes with the monsoonal rains and then recedes once the rains peter out. This is a fundamental flaw in our approach to controlling dengue.

In terms of this approach, it would be more than sufficient to take a few practical measures against the disease when the monsoon rains come along, and return to our diurnal occupations in the belief that the problem of dengue has been looked after. Little is it realized that these are only half measures that just would not stand the test of time.

The recurrence of dengue is ample proof that half and 'seasonal' measures are highly deficient and should not be resorted to if we are to see an end to the malaise. Rather, the disease must be fought on a continuous, year-long basis. That is, right throughout the months, dengue control measures must be implemented and very stringently so. A year-long programme of dengue-control which would yield durable results is what is required and we hope the state would give this proposal some thought and act on it.

We suggest that a long term programme be implemented with the cooperation of the public to firmly control dengue. It would not do to rush through with keeping our residential and official premises clean when a dengue alert is sounded. It should be our endeavour, right through the year, to cleanse our premises of the conditions that help breed dengue and other dreaded diseases.

This calls for an exemplary civic-consciousness, among other things. The public of this country, while being trained to guard against the conditions that give rise to dengue, need to think beyond selfish interests and take all safety health measures, on a continuous basis, to further the best interests of the country and the people.


 

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The Human Dimension

Why we need to be thankful for what we have...

There is a saying that goes something like this - I asked for a pair of shoes until I met a man without a foot. Some of us are like that and are not really thankful for the most important things in life that we take for granted. Yet, we do realize that those are the things that matter most and we really need to be thankful for all that we have.

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Challenges facing sustainable urban development

As a country emerging from the shadows of terrorism into a bright, prosperous future, Sri Lanka has many challenges to face and many opportunities to exploit", stated Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa recently.

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