Letters To The Editor
View(s):
Mosquito nets for hospitalized dengue patients will take the sting off the rampaging disease
A recent worrying incident was when a child who was admitted to the cardiac ward at Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Colombo was taken up for cardiac surgery after over a month’s stay in the ward and was diagnosed as having Dengue two days following surgery (while in the ICU) clearly indicating that the virus was contracted while in hospital.
How could this happen? Yes, the hospital is overburdened by dengue patients from all over the country who carry the dengue virus in abundance. Also the hospital is not mosquito- free and these mosquitoes feed on the dengue-infected blood. These infected mosquitoes then bite other kids who have come for treatment of other illnesses as well as staff members resulting in them contracting dengue once they are discharged needing re-admission once again, this time for dengue.
As a preventive measure hospitals carry out fogging which drives out all the infected virus loaded mosquitoes which are similar to highly destructive missiles to the neighbourhood thereby infecting all those living in the vicinity of the hospitals which may be one reason why the Western Province which has so many large hospitals with dengue patients has the most number of dengue cases.
I suggest that it be made mandatory that all dengue patients in hospitals should be nursed under the cover of a mosquito net at all times which would greatly help reduce the incidence of the disease.
Eradicating the mosquitoes is of paramount importance but it seems impossible so the next best strategy would be to prevent the mosquitoes getting access to the virus and thereby preventing the spread of the disease.
I feel we should change our focus as all our efforts in preventing the rampage of dengue have failed.
I hope health authorities would look into this and issue strict guidelines to all health care institutions on use of nets for all patients being treated for dengue.
Dr. Shehan Perera
Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Colombo
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What happens to all the illegal drugs seized
A haul of Kerala ganja seized in Madampe on May 23
We often see on TV and read newspaper reportsof how thePolice and Customs officers arrest drug peddlers and confiscate stocks of drugs.However there is no public awareness of what transpires thereafter. I personally believe the stocks are destroyed in front of their higher officers but the public may have different views.
Some time back we saw on TV how elephant tusks confiscated by the Customs Dept. were set on fire in front of a big audience.
Transparency is a key word used by these two departments, hence I strongly believe that the public has the right to know what transpires after these drugs are confiscated by the respective departments.
Daya Perera
Via email
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Here a noise, there a noise: Authorities please step in to give us peace and quiet
I read with much interest the letter published on May 14 ‘Ask the monks whether sound pollution is a good practice according to the Buddha’ and would like to add my comments on this.
It’s about time the Sri Lankan authorities clamped down on noise pollution in our beloved country. We are encountering the highest noise pollution emitting from many sources and in particular the use of loudspeakers from a Buddhist shrine on the street we live on. Other loudspeaker noises from nearby entities include a school, a mosque, railway station, vendors bellowing their sales and tuk-tuk bread vendors with their loud tunes.
While I realize vendors do need to earn their living, I fail to understand why the use of loud speakers is allowed at any given time disturbing the peace and quiet of residents.
Several failed attempts to talk to the caretaker at the shrine requesting them to lower the loudspeaker volume due to elderly and sick people living in the vicinity has proved futile. Arrogance has taken precedence over peace and harmony and without any consideration for others. Any religion should not be a nuisance to another person!
C. Kularatne
via email
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Some pedestrian crossings don’t serve the purpose
According to a news report, the Road Development Authority is going to repaint pedestrian crossings to suit international norms. But before that they should look into the need for these crossings.
People tend to take the shortest way in crossing a road, unless pavements are barricaded to prevent jaywalking. Policemen and school prefects control traffic near schools during school days.
Once I saw traffic police on Christmas day waiting near a school outside the city to nab a motorist for overtaking at the crossing whereas they would have been doing a better service controlling traffic in the city.
Also on lonely stretches of road there are crossings which are never used.
The Road Development Authority (RDA) also should think of single lines in the centre of a road where in some places, the vision is clear and road is straight but the driver is prevented from overtaking even though the road is clear.
D.R.A. Abeywickrema
Via email
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Give money to Little Hearts Project of Lady Ridgeway Hospital
Apropos Dr.Thenuwara’s query published in the Sunday Times of May 14, asking for advice on whom he should help with the Rs. 15,000 he had, I suggest that he donates the money to the Little Hearts Project of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital.
He will be following the Buddha’s saying, “Those who look after the sick look after me” which he quotes in his letter.
Dr.Punchihewa
Via email
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Ministers, come down to earth and see the true picture
Have our ministers dropped from heaven to enjoy everything the country has to offer?
This month’s and last month’s allocation for MPs luxury vehicles was Rs. 1.2 billion
Meethotamulla garbage dump killed 35 victims and damaged 29 houses
Flood victims in Kolonnawa lost everything inclusive of houses
Muddy waters for villagers to drink and no roads to reach their houses
Ministers are supplied with air conditioners and hot and cold water in their houses
All this while thousands of unemployed graduates strike in the blazing sun
Their only demand to consider giving them a place in the sun too
Every five years duty free vehicles permits are sold for millions
Some even sport gold chains, Rolex watches worth millions
Palatial bungalows, Ministry vehicles, subsidized meals in Parliament,
Free phone facilities, staff at their beck and call at home and in Parliament.
A vehicle at the bungalow for the Nona and even kussiamma but only a few go to Parliament
Are we living in an era like the pre – French Revolution where the poor were asked to eat cake instead of bread?
And Nero fiddled while Rome burnt?
Ministers hold thamashas while the cost of living soars
It’s time these ministers came down to earth and saw the true picture of the situation.
A.C.A. Ghafoor
Dehiwala
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Archaeological sites in the East: Let use unite to preserve our heritage
Latheef Farook writing to the Sunday Times of May 21 states that as part of Sinhalisation of Tamil Muslim lands, 86 places in the Eastern Province were declared as archaeological sites by a gazette notification issued in October 2014.
Historically, a larger part of the present-day Eastern Province falls within the Rohana division of the Tri Sinhale.There is evidence to say that even before the Christian era this region had been inhabited. Professor Paranavitana in his monumental work “Inscriptions of Ceylon Vol. 1,-Early Brahmi Inscriptions” identifies nearly 50 sites where over 150 early inscriptions have been found in the Eastern Province. These are only inscriptions. In addition there are the other historical monuments. With a cultural history going back to over 2000 years it is bound to have many more archaeological sites in the region. It is the bounden duty of the State to preserve them for the sake of the posterity which will include Sinha-lese,Tamil as well as Muslim…
The Minister in charge of the subject has the right to declare archaeological monuments by a notice published in the Government Gazette in terms of sections 16,17,18 and 19 of the Antiquities Ordinance for the purposes of the said Ordinance.
We have seen how vandals in the past systematically destroyed our priceless antiquities. They are irreparable losses. So let us unite to preserve our heritage. It is not Sinhalisation.
C.B.Punchibandara
Via email