Govt all out to control Dengue

Chaminda PERERA

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said the Government is ready to make any commitment for the eradication of dengue menace from the country. The President stressed that the Government is ready to bear any cost in importing drugs and medicine which would help control the deadly dengue menace and save lives of people who were diagnosed with the dengue virus.

He was speaking at the opening of a maternity ward complex at the Ratnapura General Hospital yesterday. The project was entirely funded by the Ven Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Himi Foundation and the Mahamevnawa Amawat-hura Monastery. He said the Treasury is fully prepared to make monetary allocations for the import of any type of medicine or drug which would help save lives and control the spread of dengue epidemic.

He stressed that life of every citizen of the country is precious and invaluable to him. “It is my duty to save the lives of every citizen of the country and we are ready to make any commitment for the eradication of dengue,” President said.

The President stressed that the Government does not mind from where it should bring medicine when it comes to saving of a life of person with dengue.

Every citizen has a responsibility to keep their environment clean and tidy. They have a duty to ensure that there is no room for mosquito breeding grounds in their environment, he stated. He said this task can not be done by a government alone and it needs more public support.

He stressed that there should be a viable program to educate the people on the dengue eradication. Dengue eradication requires a concerted effort by people of all walks of life” , he stated. President Rajapaksa added that the Government will bear any cost in importing necessary medicines to save the lives of the people who are diagnosed with dengue virus. “

He stressed that the people have entrusted in him a responsibility of developing this country and he will make it a reality.

President Rajapaksa added that the Government led by him succeeded in increasing the per capita income from US$ 1050 in 2005 to US$ 2100 by this year.

The President added that the Government would increase it to US$ 4,000 within few years.

“The Government makes the second biggest allocation for the health and education sectors, he added.

He is of the view that no country has made such an enormous allocation for the uplift of education and health sectors.

Dengue prevalence, Ratnapura in fourth place

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena yesterday said abandoned gem pits have become major dengue breeding grounds in the Ratnapura district which is in the fourth place in terms of dengue prevalence ratio. The Minister was addressing the opening of the maternity ward complex at the Ratnapura General Hospital.

He said the people in the district should focus more attention on such places.

Colombo, Gampaha and Kandy have been placed first three districts where dengue prevalence is very high, he added.

He said the health authorities in the Ratnapura district face problems in eradicating the dengue menace due to abandoned gem pits.

Sirisena said, the Government spend over Rs 8 billion for the health sector. International organizations are also providing massive amount of money for this sector’s development.

The Minister commended the services of Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thera for the uplift of Buddhist order in the country. Public Administration Home Affairs Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne and Hospital Director Dr. K.A.K. Dharmapriya also spoke.