One more phase of the Army-Health Department combined ‘National Mosquito Control Week (March 23-29)’ commenced today (23) with its inaugural ceremony at Seevali Maha Vidyalaya, Vanathamulla, Borella.
A special Press briefing that followed afterwards outlined the series of lined up awareness programmes and different island-wide activities. The media briefing took place Wednesday morning at the Health Education Bureau, headed by Hon Maithripala Sirisena, Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition, Deputy Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition, Hon Lalith Dissanayake, Additional Secretary to Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition (Medical Services) Dr P.G. Maheepala, Chief Epidemiologist Dr Paba Palihawadana, Special Commissioner for Colombo Municipal Council, Mr Omar Kamil, Chief Medical Officer (CMC), Dr Pradeep Kariyawasam, Coordinator for Dengue Control Dr Nimalka Pannilahetti, Sri Lanka Army Medical Advisor, Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Military Spokesman, Major General Ubaya Medawela, Navy and Air Force Spokesmen and Director, Army Medical Services Brigadier S.H. Sumanapala.
On the directives of the Presidential Task Force on Eradication of Dengue Epidemic, the latest round of the campaign was spearheaded by Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition, Hon Maithripala Sirisena, in coordination with the Army on the instructions of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya.
During this week, inspection teams of the Health Department, officials in each Grama Niladhari division as well as many hundreds of Army personnel are scheduled to visit the premises of Government and Non-Governmental Organizations, high risk areas, school compounds, all houses, major public places, empty lands, religious places and pre schools in each area. Each day in the week has been allocated for specific location visits as per the schedule, according to Ministry officials of the National Mosquito Control Week.
Considering the gravity of the numbers affected by Dengue in the latter part of the year 2010 and impending threat of Dengue outbreak in the pre-monsoon period, Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition has sought the assistance of the Army once again to conduct awareness and cleaning programmes across the island.
Hundreds of Army personnel in all island-wide formations effectively contributed earlier to the second and third phases of the programme with the coordination of other local authorities, resulting in a marked drop in affected cases in the past.
In the past three months, 2546 Dengue affected patients have been detected across the country. Colombo District alone has recorded 886 cases out of the total, as per statistics of the Epidemiology Unit, Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition, the Press briefing was told.
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