Officials refute claims:

LRH well equipped to handle dengue rush

By Asma EDRIS

Health Officials came out strongly against claims that the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) was unable to cope with the hospital’s overcrowded situation due to the Dengue epidemic.

A highly placed health official told the Sunday Observer that due to the epidemic proportion of dengue fever, there was an “obvious” overflow of patients at the hospital but the hospital officials and staff were well trained and prepared to cope with the situation.

Referring to reports that the Hospital’s Outpatients Department (OPD) and wards were overflowing with patients, the source said that it was an “exaggeration” of the actual situation.

“An immediate stop must be put to this kind of reports because they create an unnecessary fear in the masses. What is important is not the number of patients that a hospital has but whether patients were treated or not”.

Government Epidemiology Unit Consultant Dr. H. Tissera speaking during a telephone interview with the Sunday Observer regarding the overflow of patients at government hospitals said that there was a 200 percent increase in the number of dengue patients in the country and that “the overflow was an obvious result of the epidemic status that dengue has reached”.

Though there would be minor delays at government hospitals due to this factor, the doctors and staff at these institutions “knew what to do and are very capable of handling emergencies,” the doctor said emphasizing that people should not make this an issue to avoid government hospitals.