Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena blamed local authorities including municipal councils for failing to prevent the spread of dengue and called on them to play an active role in controlling the menace.
“The Health sector alone cannot control the spread of dengue; local authorities should also take responsibility. This is an essential requirement,” Mr. Sirisena told the Sunday Times.
He said the public including householders should play a prominent role, as currently most houses fail to keep their immediate environs clean which contributes to the spread of dengue.
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| File photo: Breeding grounds for dengue mosquitoes |
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“People do not check the gutters and the surroundings in their gardens where water accumulates. If this is done they will not only protect their own children and family members, but also others in the vicinity”, Mr. Sirisena added.
He said a Presidential Task force to control Dengue had been set up under which local councils had been given the responsibility of controlling the menace.
He said government would be soon importing the Cuban bacteria to control the dengue mosquito, while the local bacteria too would developed. He added research was being conducted in the Akurana area.
“We have learnt from previous mistakes and trying to correct the situation,” he explained.
Commenting on the shortage of medicine in hospitals, he said the Ministry was in the process of overcoming the shortages and most drugs which were in short supply had been brought down. He said it was now a matter of transporting these items to the respective hospitals.
“The import of drugs in any country is controlled by a mafia. We should take steps to overcome this situation. “Government spends around Rs. 1,110 million on the import of drugs per year. We have now decided to appoint a panel of experts to select which medicines are to be imported,” he said.
“I have taken measures to ensure the independence of the panel and make sure they carry out a transparent policy on drug imports,” he said.
He said the State Pharmaceutical Corporation and the State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation were brought under one Board to ensure quality drugs are imported efficiently and in a timely fashion.
He said in several instances samples given differed from the product imported. “Since a mafia is involved we have to take a step at a time”.
The Minister added the import of machinery too needed to be carried out in a transparent manner.
The Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry has warned of a possible outbreak of dengue in the wake of the recent rains and has called on the public to be more vigilant and keep the environment clean.
Head of the Epidemiology Unit Dr. Pabha Palihawadana told the Sunday Times the public could play a crucial role by protecting the environment while the government took measures to counter the spread of dengue.
She said “the number of cases of dengue early this year had risen, as persons who travelled from the south to the north had contracted the disease. “However the figures had declined in the months thereafter, but the figure could increase in view of the rains,” she said.
She added in January there were 4,672 cases of dengue, in February 4,542, in March 2,400, in April 1,962 and in May 1,390. Eighty-one cases of dengue related deaths were also reported during the period. |
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