Legal action against errant Local Govt bodies

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The Ministry of Health will take legal action against Local Government institutions that do not carry out proper drainage cleaning and garbage removal programs in their areas.

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena told the Sunday Observer that he was dissatisfied over the poor response by certain Local Government institutions to help the Government's dengue eradication program.

The Minister said it was also the duty of the public to provide information to authorities on polluted drains and garbage that has not been removed.

According to latest Health Department statistics, over 20,000 cases of dengue were reported from various parts of the country during the first six months of this year; nearly 140 persons including children have lost their lives to the disease.

Minister Sirisena also called upon the public to help the Health Department's ongoing `Dengue Eradication Program' by regularly cleaning their gardens and also by encouraging schoolchildren to clean school compounds on a regular basis. He said the Ministry has strengthened the activities of the Dengue Task Force (DTF) to halt the spreading of the epidemic during the current rainy season.

Meanwhile, Head of the Health Ministry's Epidemiology Unit Dr. Paba Palihawadana said the main task of the DTF is to co-ordinate with officials and take measures to stop the spreading of the disease.

Accordingly, the DTF has identified several dengue high risk zones.