Epidemic threat in flood affected areas

Nadira Gunatilleke

The Health Ministry warns the public in flood affected areas of possible outbreak of communicable diseases and dengue.

The people should drink boiled water and eat home cooked food. They should avoid food such as raw salads. The Disaster Management Centre of the Health Ministry is open 24 hours, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

According to the spokesman, the people should be vigilant on possible dengue outbreak in flood affected areas. Arrangements should be made to destroy mosquito breeding places. Steps have been taken to add chlorine to water resources affected by floods and to provide required drugs.

Some state hospitals have been damaged by floods. Kurunegala hospital is one of them. Cleaning is going on at Kurunegala hospital, he said.