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Kinniya dengue cases rise, while anti-mosquito struggle continues
View(s):Intense mosquito control measures are continuing in Kinniya, which is in the grip of a dengue epidemic.
“We identified and got rid of possible mosquito breeding places. These sites had been overlooked by the public because they didn’t know such places could turn into breeding sites,” said Dr Preshila Samaraweera, consultant community physician at the National Dengue Control Unit.
Health officials will continue to pay attention to houses, factories, religious institutions, educational institutions, state and private institutions, and construction sites island wide throughout mosquito control week that ends next week.
Authorities have inspected 4,752 premises during the first day of a programme in Trincomalee and 52 people have been prosecuted, while 170 households were issued warning notices.
About 150 teams made up of of tri-forces members, Civil Defense Force members, health officials, medical health officers, and assistants are supporting the programme.
According to the army, soldiers are carrying out preventive measures including destroying possible mosquito breeding sites in vulnerable areas in Kinniya, Trincomalee, Uppuweli, Batticaloa and Kalmunai.
“It is the responsibility of individuals to keep their places free from mosquito breeding sites, but local authorities, too, have to be blamed for clogged drains and canals,’’ Dr Samaraweera said.
“We are coping with difficulty,” the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Senior Consultant Physician Dr Ananda Wijewickrama confessed. “The lack of space and severe staff shortage pose a huge problem as we have to care for patients with all sorts of infectious diseases, on a daily basis. Now, with the dengue epidemic, we have to cope with an additional surge of patients. In fact, from last month, the majority of our patients are those with suspected dengue symptoms.’’
In Batticaloa, the hospital is struggling with the lack of beds.
“There are only 17 beds in our high dependency ward where the blood pressure and cardiac status of each patient can be monitored continuously as each bed is equipped with a multi para monitor. However, in the past three weeks, we have had over 75 patients a day,’’ Batticoala Teaching Hospital Director M.S Ibralebbe said. “We also need between three to four trained nurses and at least four more doctors to the unit.’’
Temporary wards have been set up, Eastern Provincial Health Minister A L M Nazeer said.
According to Kinniya Base Hospital statistics, there has been an increase in dengue patients. “As of February 28th, there have been 1,340 dengue cases, out of which 211 were dengue haemorrhagic cases. There have been two deaths that were caused because the patients were transferred late.’’
“In the previous year, 2,561 dengue patients were admitted to the hospital. So there’s a definite rise,” an official said.
According to her, other than the Colombo Municipal Council areas, Dehiwela-Mt. Lavinia, Ratmalana, Moratuwa, Kolonnawa, Maharagama, Piliyandala and Boralesgamuwa are the worst affected in the Colombo district.
Colombo has reported the highest number of cases since January with 5,598. The second highest was Gampaha with 2,872, followed by Trincomalee (1,647), Jaffna (1,511) and Kurunegala (1,011).