2000 new dengue cases detected last week half of them from Western Province

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Close to 2000 dengue cases had been reported last week and the Western Province accounted for almost 50 percent of them, the Health Ministry said yesterday.

Piliyandala, Gotatuwa, Kaduwela and Maharagama MoH areas are the most affected by dengue, the Ministry said.

Association of Health Entomology Officers National Organiser Disnaka Dissanayake said that fogging mosquitoes and destroying their breeding sites should go hand in hand to prevent the spread of dengue.

However, College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) President, Ravi Kumudesh told The Island that regional health officers are not fogging mosquitoes because the Health Ministry, in late 2022, issued a circular saying that fogging could only be used in the time of an epidemic.

In some areas it is alleged fogging can be organised if palms of the right people are oiled.

“We want to know who took the decision and why the Ministry still adheres to this decision, despite the rapid spread of dengue. Are we waiting till a crisis emerge?” he asked.