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| Sunday, 4 July 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Dengue update : Death toll rises by Shanika Sriyananda With overflowing of dengue suspected patients, all new admissions of patients with fever have been wait-listed by the private hospital authorities. Only patients with dengue haemorrhagic fever symptoms were able to get admission immediately. Not a single bed at any of the major private hospitals was available for suspected dengue patients by yesterday afternoon, and most of them had to be turned away after O.P.D treatment and wait-listed. According to officials of the Epidemiology Unit (EU) of the Ministry of Health, the total number of suspected cases rose to 6,743 yesterday with 48 deaths. This total number of dengue suspected cases reported to the EU would be double if those admitted to private hospitals are added to the list but, according to Dr. Harsha Amal de Silva, Director, Private Health Sector Development, there is no proper data base yet to show the number of cases treated at private hospitals. Dr. de Silva commending the assistance given by the private sector hospitals said that the private sector was fully geared to treat dengue patients. " Rapid diagnosis set kits and necessary laboratory facilities are available in most of the private sector hospitals for easy and immediate identification of the disease", he added. According to him dengue fever is a very mild illness but dengue haemorrhagic fever needs special medical care including intensive care treatment. "Compared to other diseases, which are known 'diseases of the poor', dengue became one for the affluent as well due to unclean environments", he pointed out. With the epidemic sweeping across the country, the health authorities are still calling for public co-operation to clean mosquito breeding spots in their environs. |
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