Sri Lanka: Deadly dengue spreads ; Hospitals run out of beds

By Yohan Perera, J. Jayasinghe, Lasantha Perera and Jeewaka Jayaruk | Daily Mirror
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As the number of Dengue patients swelled around the country several hospitals were reported to be over crowded with patients.

Director of Kalubowila Hospital Dr. Anil Jasinghe said managing the problem was becoming difficult as the number of cases increases. Dr. Jasinghe told Daily Mirror that more than 80 cases have been admitted to the hospital daily during the past two weeks. “Naturally managing the hospital had become difficult with the limited facilities,” he said.

He explained that each ward has an average number of beds and providing facilities for patients is difficult no matter dengue cases increased or not,” he said.

Health authorities in the Ratnapura District said the number of cases had risen to 463 in the month of June while there had been a total of 1500 cases so far during the year. Seven deaths have been reported throughout the year so far. Number of cases had increased every month according to the authorities. Accordingly there had been 141 reported cases in January, while there had been 267 by June this year.

The number of cases reported from Kandy district has been 800 with two deaths. The Chief Medical Officer of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam who was commenting the situation in the Colombo city said residents have not got the messages and the instructions given by the health authority as only 600 out of the inspected 10,000 households have kept their households free from mosquitoes. This has been found out during a dengue campaign carried out by the council during the week end. The campaign was coupled with inspection of households and other establishments in the city. In another development it had been found out that consuming papaya leaves together with bee honey will increase the platelet count of the dengue patients. Dr. S. M. N. Ameen of Welipitiya Aruvedic hospital had claimed that he had cured 20 patients.

© Daily Mirror