The number of Dengue patients in hospitals are on the rise, with over 90 people having succumbed to the deadly disease over the past five months. Worryingly, the number of confirmed Dengue cases have increased to 40,000.

The hospitals which has seen an increase in patients include:

• The National Hospital
• IDH Hospital
• Jayawardenepura Base Hospital
• Kalubowila Teaching Hospital

Another victim – Unfortunately, the Dengue disease claimed the life of a young mother on Sunday May 7.

Living in Manelgama, Kelaniya, Nadeeka Madushani was a 26 year-old mother of one. She had been receiving inhouse treatment at the IDH hospital for the past three days before taking her last breath, leaving behind a eleven month old infant.

The statistics over the past five months are as follows

• Colombo district – 9,278 Dengue patients
• Gampaha district – 5,485 Dengue patients
• Trincomalee district – 4,095 Dengue patients

The total number of Dengue patients reported over the past five months – 42,141 (40.89% of them from the Western Province)

The number of patients receiving treatment in the Colombo district at present:

• IDH – 250
• Jayawardenepura base hospital – 150
• Kalubowila teaching hospital – 140
• The National hospital – 90 (an average of 20 patients are being admitted to the National Hospital daily)
• National Dengue Eradication Unit says that the death-toll currently stands between 70 and 80.

The NDEU says that a large number of dengue patients continue to emerge from Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Galle, Matara, Kurunegala and Puttalam districts.

A warning for the coming days…

Deputy Director of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe has warned that the number of Dengue patients could increase further in the coming days.

“.. The spread of Dengue increased this year earlier than expected. Usually Dengue is reported in the months of June and afterwards. So we have concerns about the situation that could be prevalent over the next few months ..” said Dr. Anil Jasinghe

Meanwhile, the Minister of Health pointed out that doctors are launching strikes in a backdrop where the country is being hit by a Dengue epidemic.

“These are not medical problems, these are academic problems. Most people are working wit this political agenda in mind ..” said Minister Rajitha Senaratne.

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