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Dengue: Cleaning campaign in schools every Sunday
View(s):The Government has decided to conduct mandatory cleaning campaigns in schools every Sunday beginning next month.
The move comes as the number of dengue cases continue to rise with 310 deaths by Friday and 111,333 patients reported.
The decision was taken after it was pointed out that cleaning school premises may be neglected due to school holidays next month. The parents and the staff would have to be a part of the campaign.
This is in addition to the clean up programme to be held on three days, August 3 to 5 focusing mainly on schools, the National Dengue Control Unit’s Consultant Community Physician of Dr. Preshila Samaraweera said.
She said the Health Ministry had appointed an independent expert group comprising doctors, professors, academics and retired public health specialists to monitor and supervise action plans at the grassroots level. They would resume their task from Tuesday.
In its dengue action plan handed over to the ministry, the WHO called for monitoring programmes and enhanced action plans to combat the dengue epidemic.