Sixty dengue deaths to date
Of the 7,000 dengue patients reported from all parts of the island from the beginning of this year, 60 have died. The number of deaths due to dengue has decreased following the new care system introduced by the ministry, a Health Ministry spokesman said.
"Among the 60 who have died, 40 are adults and the rest children. Most adults die due to negligence," the spokesman said.
"Dengue mosquitoes breed in gutters, construction sites and similar places. It is the responsibility of all citizens and state institutions to keep their premises free of dengue mosquito breeding sites. Dengue mosquitoes fly only 500 metres and therefore it is important to keep surroundings clean," he said.
According to the spokesman, the ministry sent a medical team to Thailand last year with WHO assistance to obtain special training on dengue treatment and care.
"The team returned to Sri Lanka and trained staff of 55 main hospitals. Special training will be given to all staff of all main hospitals soon. In addition, the ministry will provide Rs. 5 million to state hospitals to allocate five ICU beds for dengue patients. One ICU bed costs Rs. 800,000," he said.
Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena held a special discussion with all hospital directors and instructed them to upgrade ICU care and observation of dengue patients to offer a better care for them.
The doctors pointed out that daily a large number of patients with fever turn up in state hospitals and many are diagnosed with dengue, he said.
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