Under Prevention of Mosquito Breeding Act:

Warning and fine for ‘dengue breeders’

by Ananda KANNANGARA

Minister of Health and Nutrition Nimal Siripala de Silva said that legal action will be taken against residents who do not cooperate in cleaning their surroundings under the Prevention of Mosquito Breeding Act No. 11 of 2007.

Under this Act anyone found guilty would be fined Rs. 1,000 - Rs. 25,000.

The second inspection of the dengue eradication drive, conducted by the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry to crack down on residents who have not cleared mosquito breeding sites in their home gardens will be carried out in the city of Colombo from next week.

Under the first anti-dengue drive, conducted last week in the city, over 480 residents were issued warning notices and directed to eradicate mosquito breeding grounds within two weeks.

According to the latest Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry statistics the number of deaths had risen to 128 by yesterday, while the number of patients had exceeded 9,200. Minister de Silva told the Sunday Observer that during the two-week warning period, residents must take measures to destroy all mosquito breeding grounds, or else they would be penalised under the existing laws.

“Residents who do not keep their premises clean and tidy are responsible for the spread of dengue, but most of them are in the habit of putting the blame on the Health Department,” he said.

Therefore, offenders will be punished under the Prevention of Mosquito Breeding Act No 11 of 2007.

Under this Act any person who has not taken proper measures to destroy mosquito breeding grounds will be fined Rs. 1,000 - Rs. 25,000.

He said similar dengue eradication programs were conducted in Kandy on Monday and Gampaha on Tuesday.

When contacted the Health Ministry’s Epidemiological Unit, Consultant Epidemiologist, Dr. Hasitha Tissera said that several precautionary measures were taken by the Health Department to prevent the dengue epidemic spreading in areas where Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) live.

“But, we believe that this mosquito-borne disease will raise its head in the Northern district with the North-East monsoon rains in a few months,” he said.

Quoting Health Ministry statistics, Dr. Tissera said although dengue has claimed many lives during the first six months of this year, only 27 deaths were reported during the corresponding period in 2008.

He said special health care units with equipment and medicine have been set up to combat the spread of dengue in vulnerable areas such as Colombo, Kandy, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Matale.