Director, National Dengue Control Unit of the Ministry of Health, Doctor Sudath Samaraweera said that nearly 26,964 positive dengue patients have been reported to the Health Ministry by May and 37 percent of them were detected from the Western Province.
The majority of the patients were detected from the Kurunegala, Ratnapura and Kandy districts. Among these patients, 11 have died. In 2022, 72 had died and nearly 62 had died in 2023. Nearly 25 percent of these patients were schoolchildren.
Around 5,000 positive Rat Fever (Leptospirosis) patients have also been detected countrywide this year. Nearly, 100 patients with Rat Fever who do not take the free medicine given by Government hospitals die annually. The majority of Rat Fever patients have been reported from Kurunegala, Kegalle, Ratnapura, Matara, Kalutara and the Moneragala districts during this year.
Nearly 1,200 PHIs and 3,500 Family Health Nurses will be deployed by the Health Ministry from July 1, to educate the school and village community on preventive measures by visiting schools and houses in 17 administrative districts that have been identified as more risky zones.
Around 20 percent of schools and factory premises were found to be mosquito-breeding grounds by PHIs who visited these places and 1,080 irresponsible school heads and factory owners were sued at courts last month, he added.
“Rs. 250 million has been allocated for this purpose by the Government,” Kurunegala DMO Dr. S.M.A. Priyadarshana said.
