“Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedera said, “the dengue epidemic will be over soon...”
“How can you say that?” Bindu’s father Percy was puzzled, “I thought they are trying desperately to control it but more and more people are dying every day...”
“No, thaaththa,” Bindu explained, “I think our brilliant minister of health has found a solution to it...”
“What solution is that?” Percy inquired, “Has he found a way to eradicate the dengue mosquito?”
“Of course not,” Bindu said, “in fact, he says we shouldn’t be eradicating the dengue mosquito...”
“Why is that?” Percy was puzzled, “I thought we should be trying hard to eradicate the mosquito by cleaning up places where there is water and dirt...”
“I am not so sure whether that is such a good strategy now...” Bindu said.
“And, why not?” Percy demanded, “I think I saw the minister himself participating in a ‘shramadana’, trying to do that...”
“Well,” Bindu said, “now he says we shouldn’t be eradicating the mosquito because it could lead to other environmental problems....”
“Then,” Percy wondered, “what does he want us to do?”
“Well, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “the minister says dengue is spread by a mosquito that bites people who wear short dresses...”
“And why does the mosquito do that?” Percy was curious.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “according to our brilliant minister, the mosquito will then bite them on the exposed areas and that is why they get dengue...”
“So,” Percy demanded, “what does the minister want us to do?”
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu explained, “then, eradicating dengue will be so easy...”
“Why is that?” Percy inquired.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu suggested, “all we have to do is wear long clothes; then the problem will be solved...”
“Are you sure about this, Bindu?” Percy wanted to know, “after all, this is the same man who said that people in Colombo eat grass while the rest of the country eats rice and he himself lives in Colombo...”
“Well, the minister should know what he is talking about...” Bindu argued.
“But, Bindu,” Percy said, “I have never heard of such a mosquito control method anywhere in the world...”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,” Bindu said, “and I am sure the minister will tell the rest of the world about this mosquito control method as well...”
“Why do you say that, Bindu?” Percy asked.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu replied, “after all, he is also the head of the World Health Organisation...”
“Do you mean to say this man is responsible not only for our health but also for the health of the entire world?” Percy wondered.
“I suppose, as the head of the World Health Organisation, he is...” Bindu declared, “and maybe we don’t give him enough credit for that...”
“Well, I suppose he could now apply for a doctorate in mosquito control,” Percy proposed, “and he can submit his thesis on how to control mosquitoes by wearing long clothes...”
“That is indeed a possibility...” Bindu agreed.
“Yes,” Percy said, “at the rate they are giving away doctorates at universities these days, that shouldn’t be a problem...”
“But I am sure his doctorate will be a well deserved one...” Bindu said.
“Then, if dengue could be eradicated by simply asking everyone to wear long clothes, why didn’t the minister ask everyone to do that earlier?” Percy countered, “That way, he could have saved over a hundred lives...”
“It maybe the minister was busy dealing with other matters like the swine fever...” Bindu observed.
“But, Bindu,” Percy protested, “swine flu has killed less than a hundred people in the whole world and yet the minister and his officials were telling us all about that disease in the past few months without uttering a word about dengue...”
“That is true, thaaththa...” Bindu conceded.
“And,” Percy pointed out, “dengue has claimed over a hundred and twenty lives in our country alone...”
“But, thaaththa” Bindu argued, “there must surely be a reason why our politicians were so interested in swine fever...”
“And what reason would that be?” Percy demanded.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu pointed out, “surely, they would be looking at themselves in the mirror every day, wouldn’t they?”
Percy didn’t quite know what to say to that.