The Health Ministry has accelerated the battle against dengue haemorragic fever by intensifying fogging activities and air lifting another 820 new fogging machines, setting up three complaint centres in the Western Province and recruiting another batch of 500 area assistants to the Western Province to assist in fogging and other dengue control activities.
A Health Ministry release stated that earlier there had been an increase in the number of dengue cases reported in 10 districts.
The largest number of cases were from the Western Province.Since uninterrupted fogging was launched in this area on Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne’s directions, the disease now appeared to be under control.
Police officers would also be assigned to the three complaint centres in the Western Province operating round the clock. The minister had also entrusted the officers attached to these centres the responsibility of carrying out immediate fogging activities in areas reporting any new dengue patients.
They have also allowed to recruit any additional manpower needed on a daily payment basis to accelerate anti-dengue control activities.
Earlier, there had been only 380 fogging machines countrywide. The number of dengue patients reported up to December 18 stood at 48, 682 and the number of deaths was 77.
The release stated a special dengue control programme was conducted in the Colombo Municipal Council area on December 16 with the participation of 60 special teams.