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| Sunday, 9 January 2005 |
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No breakdown in health sector by Shanika Sriyananda The backbone of the public health system of Sri Lanka has not broken due to tsunami, the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Director-General Dr. Lee Jong-Wook told the media yesterday after his fact-finding tour in the affected areas in the South and East. Dr. Lee added that unlike in other affected countries, public health sector has not totally collapsed as a result of tsunami." Damages are different from country to country," he added. According to Dr. Lee, fourteen WHO top professionals were already in the country and working in the field co-ordinating the WHO surveillance network. " Another 34 top WHO professionals including epidemiologists are due to arrive in the country to support in restoration of health sector", he said. According to WHO estimates, Sri Lanka needed over US $ 120 million to restore health facilities in tsunami hit areas and other affected parts of the country. Out of the total US $ 20 million has to be channelled immediately to bring the health sector back to normalcy in the areas affected in the coastal belt, within the next three months. Dr. Lee also said that he was inspired by the courage and energy of the Sri Lankan survivors and saw people in affected areas were repairing their partly damaged houses and re-building hospitals and houses, during his visit to Galle, Ampara and Kalmunai districts. " This gives us courage to swift the measures to help these victims", he said adding that the WHO is able to provide expertise and carry out surveillance in water borne diseases. According to Dr. Lee, most of the diseases in camps are not in epidemic proportions but at a normal rate as usual after such a disaster due to shortage of clean water and poor sanitary facilities. " No threat of spreading diseases - diarrhoea and cholera - among the camp people. However chlorination of all water resources and distributing common antibiotics among them are needed", said Dr. Lee who visited some camps yesterday. Commending the facilities in camps he said that they were improving. According to Dr. Lee the government has ample stocks of antibiotics and the WHO together with the government already have taken every step to tackle spreading of diseases. However, he said that it was essential to inform the countries which were sending their medical experts and other health workers, the requirement of existing health speciality in affected areas. " If the country already has that expertise these doctors can go to other affected countries", he said. Meanwhile, Dr. Kan Tun, WHO Resident Representative, is awaiting the report from the WHO team, which is due to be handed over with details of the health conditions in the camps in the East, on Monday. |
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